Emako, The Red-Haired Twin
by hemerocallis
Summary: How would a female twin change Harry Potter? How would she change the people around Harry? Would she help Harry kill Voldemort or would she have a different agenda? Will the romantic pairings be the same? Who will become the mate of Harry's twin? Is she even supposed to be alive? Friendships will be tested, assumptions will be challenged, and unlikely heroes will step forward.
1. Chapter 1

Note: the characters, settings, and plot from the seven-book Harry Potter canon belong to J.K. Rowling, whom I thank for permitting facfics inspired by her work. The new characters and plot in this book belong to me. At least the initial chapters of this book should be suitable for all age groups. If this changes, I will re-rate and post a warning at the first more-adult chapter. This book is totally unrelated to my Harry Potter Finally Graduates series.

 **EMAKO, THE RED-HEADED TWIN (GIRL)**

 **Chapter One – From Minor Acts of Defiance**

"There is no need for you to worry. Harry is with his aunt. Albus says he is safe, at least until he comes to Hogwarts. I saw him delivered with my own eyes," Minerva McGonagall informed her colleague, Sybil Trelawney.

"But what about his twin? The little girl – where is she, is she safe?"

"She was at St. Mungo's when the attack happened. Mumps – that can be very dangerous in a Muggle household. Albus said that the aunt was likely to reject Harry if his twin brought mumps into the household. Vernon has apparently never had the mumps."

"I don't see how Headmaster Dumbledore could possibly know that about Vernon," Sybil complained. "I gave him an explicit prophecy about Harry. I could only tell him that I believed from my vision that Emako, that's the twin's name, is also in some way important to our battle against Voldemort. Dumbledore has ignored that vision. I feel in my bones that my vision is valid."

"Imprecise prophecies are notoriously unreliable."

"But the thought of her importance was so very clear. I just know I am not mistaken. I don't even remember the Harry prophecy, but Emako's importance is emblazoned upon my mind. I talked at great length about this to Albus. I'm convinced that he wants Harry to grow up as alone and isolated as possible. He doesn't want Emako to be with him. Separating twins, even after only a year together – that is unspeakably cruel. I won't have it! I'm certain that Albus will spirit the girl away from St. Mungo's and hope she grows up as an anonymous Muggle. Probably in some sordid orphanage – the quality establishments ask questions."

"Albus has thought at great length about Harry. It is important to trust him and follow his lead. We've accepted his leadership of the Order. It is dangerous to go against him on something he regards as so important to defeating Voldemort. Albus will see that as treason. Are you absolutely certain that you are right?"

"I feel it deep in my bones. I am not wrong about this. I cannot abide cruelty to young children. How could I call myself a Hogwarts professor if I allowed an almost certainly magical child to be thrown away, just because of the headmaster's whim, based upon no evidence, whatsoever. It is my duty to act. With or without your help, I will steal Emako from St. Mungo's and take her to the aunt as soon as we know she's healthy. I'm certain the healers have already fixed her. I must act before dinner. Albus will move quickly."

"Okay, I'm in. It is on our heads if Harry fails to stop Voldemort, but I also cannot allow two twins to be forcibly separated, based on nothing more than Albus's hunch," Professor McGonagall agreed.

The break-in and kidnapping – that is what it legally was – were successful and the two Witches were not detected. The girl was healthy. They rushed her to the Dursley's house and rang the bell.

"The twin must live with Harry," Professor Trelawney told Petunia and repeated the demand when Vernon came to check on them. "I will watch over both children. If they come to any harm, I know upon whom my vengeance must be directed."

Vernon opened his mouth to complain, but Professor Trelawney had drawn her wand. She only used it to add her favorite protective charms to the property, starting at the door and working outward to the middle of the street.

At breakfast, Headmaster Dumbledore cast a long glance at Professor McGonagall, who wilted not one bit under that stare. Nor did she wilt when she found herself unable to get up from table, because the headmaster was standing directly behind her chair.

"You trust Sybil's judgement more than mine? I fear that you have destroyed our only hope of stopping Voldemort."

"If it has come to the point where we hide behind and sacrifice infants, then we have already lost. I have fought Voldemort and IF he is still alive, a possibility I have grown less sure of with each passing year, I shall not flinch from fighting him again. It is monstrous to deliberately sacrifice a child. Is this what we have become?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two – Dudley's Birthday Trip To The Zoo**

Blam! Somebody, likely Aunt Petunia, had kicked the cupboard door.

"Get up, Emako. No dawdling, we're in a hurry today. It's Dudley's birthday. Open the door this instant, you lazy child."

The door was opened. Emako tried to shield Harry from view, but Aunt Petunia spotted him, cringing in the corner, where my two spare skirts hung.

"How many times have I told you to stay out of the cupboard? You have your own room – a very nice room. The two of you are too old to sleep together in the same cupboard. Even among your kind, that must be considered wrong. The two of you need to cook us a nice breakfast. Eggs, bacon, and griddle cakes. Vernon is very particular about his bacon, and eggs. I don't want the two of you to dawdle and then ruin breakfast by rushing with the heat up too high. He wants the bacon American-style crisp, not burnt and he doesn't want his eggs dry."

Harry did the bacon and eggs. I mixed and starting frying griddle cakes. We unloaded our initial efforts onto the breakfast table. Dudley was inhaling his food, but Vernon sniped at Harry "burnt bacon and dry eggs. The griddle cakes are cooked perfectly. You're hopeless Harry, just a lazy, stupid, good-for-nothing freak. At least Emako knows how to cook. Now you eat this over-cooked mess, while Emako makes proper bacon and eggs for me. We need to get on to Dudley's presents and then the zoo.

I smiled. Insults rolled right off Harry's back, but he was now eating as much bacon as he normally had in a month.

Three hours and one tantrum later, we were walking past the snake cage. Harry and I spoke back and forth in our secret hissing language, so that Dudley couldn't understand what we said. Of course he complained to his parents. Of course I reminded Dudley what would happen to him if he messed with one of us. He left us alone for a while.

We went to the snake house to practice. We knew that snakes could sort of understand us, if we took the time to train them. Harry thought this might be important. Our practice went well. There was a big snake in this enclosure who understood and even talked back to us immediately. We were instantly silent as Dudley approached us. He was needling Harry and Harry was becoming angry. I just pulled Harry away and put my arm around his shoulders. I could feel his anger recede. It wasn't worthwhile striking back at Dudley for such piddling abuse. The moment would come and then Dudley would pay. He couldn't always hide behind his parents and we had more friends at school than he did.

Actually, we ended up saving Dudley from a lot of abuse and a possible beating two days later. Four largish boys had surrounded Dudley and his two pals. The pals kept their hands in their pockets as the lead antagonist called Dudley 'a fat sow', 'Mummy's-little-ha-ha-Duddums', and 'Daddy's great-big-Duddikins'. I guess this kid must have snooped around outside the Dursley house. There was already some shoving of Dudley going on when Harry and I arrived and Dudley looked both quite frightened and ready to defend himself, if he could get his pals to help.

"I don't much like him either," Harry told the assailants, "but he is my brother and I can't allow you to beat him up."

"Is sister going to fight us, too."

"I am," I told them. "I know martial arts, so does Harry." I struck a pose. The assailants looked dubious. They were all a lot bigger than any of us, except Dudley.

The big kid came at me and Harry stuck out a foot to trip him. I kicked him as he fell. The other two stepped forward and I just concentrated on them slipping and falling. It was as if they were on wet ice. There feet went in different directions. As they sunk to the ground, Harry punched one kid in the nose, while Dudley got a couple good punches in on the third guy. The two pals now had their hands out of their pockets as they tried to look menacing. The last guy put his hands up in surrender and helped his friends off the ground. The nose of the kid whom Harry had punched never did stop bleeding, at least up to the time his parents came to get him three hours later. Luckily a teacher had watched enough from a window to know that the guys who lost had been the aggressors, but not enough to notice any magic.

Naturally, the headmaster called both Petunia and Vernon. The mother of the kid with the unstoppable nose bleed also called Petunia. Petunia thanked us for protecting Dudley. Vernon yelled at us for getting Dudley into trouble and declared that neither of us would have any dinner. Dudley looked guilty, but he didn't say a word in our defense.

As soon as Vernon looked away, I slowly and clearly mouthed the words "later, traitor".

"Um, Dad... I really was attacked by four really tough kids. They would have killed me, if Harry and Emako hadn't saved me. Please... let them have dinner... and, my dessert."

Vernon looked surprised, but Harry and I ate very well that night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three – We Are Going To Hogwarts.**

We both received our Hogwarts invitation letters today. They came five minutes after we arrived home from school. They were hand-delivered by a queer old woman who introduced herself as "Professor Sybil Trelawney, I teach Divination, a vastly under-rated subject." Vernon wasn't home and a very nervous Aunt Petunia brought the professor into the sitting room to talk to us. Aunt Petunia had to get quite cross in ordering Dudley to go to his room.

Professor Trelawney greeted Harry and me, shaking our hands and declaring "It is always a delight to welcome a young Witch and Wizard into the fold, especially the very famous Potter twins. By now I'm sure you both have learned of your magical abilities. No? You should have. No matter, I'll explain all when next I see you. It is a very great honor to be accepted by Hogwarts. I promise you will be amazed. There is so much to see and learn and a great reassurance to live among other Witches and Wizards with talents similar to your own."

Aunt Petunia gulped as the professor said this. Her right hand began to shake. The professor sat in Uncle Vernon's chair, with her hands in her lap, twiddling her wand. Aunt Petunia couldn't take her eyes off the wand.

"The twins will take the Hogwarts Express railroad train to school. They will need to purchase their books, uniforms, and school supplies before the train leaves. I think it easiest if I take the twins shopping the afternoon before they must board the Express. I'll pick them up here at precisely noon next Tuesday. We'll get our shopping done, stay overnight at the Leaking Cauldron Inn, then I'll escort the twins to the train. I'll be riding the train as a proctor. I think that's the easiest approach for all of us. Is there a problem?"

"My husband and I don't want the children to attend Hogwarts and get involved with all that magical mumbo jumbo. I'm quite sure that Vernon, he's my husband, won't agree to pay the train fare or give the twins money to purchase the books, or the uniforms, or…"

"That won't be a problem. That's all taken care of, just leave it all to me. Are there any other objections?" Her wand continued to bob around in her hands, but spent an alarming amount of time pointed straight at Aunt Petunia's nose.

"No, no problem. I'll have the twins ready for you, unless… unless their Uncle Vernon has plans to take them somewhere on Tuesday."

"That would be… very unwise. I am an expert at divination. I can find the twins or you or Vernon wherever you may choose to hide. Hunting for the twins would throw me off schedule and that would upset me… greatly." Her wand was now firmly fixed upon Aunt Petunia's nose.

"There won't be any problem," Aunt Petunia promised.

"Until Tuesday, children." The professor left, without saying another word to Aunt Petunia.

"That professor looked so frail and weird, I didn't think she'd have the courage to pull that off," I told Harry. I felt very pleased to see Aunt Petunia so thoroughly defeated. It was exciting to think that I was actually a Witch and that I would soon be at a school filled with other young Witches and Wizards. I didn't dislike our current school, as Harry did, but I was certain things would be much better at Hogwarts.

We packed quite a lot for Tuesday. Professor Trelawney persuaded us to leave most of it at the Dursleys. She took us to Diagon Alley. We shopped for wands and school robes. I was matched with my wand on the very first try – twelve inches long, phoenix feather in walnut, quite unusual. Harry took forever to find his wand. When we were being measured for our robes, we were chatted up by a silly and stuck-up boy, name of Draco Malfoy, who had never heard of the Rolling Stones. How could any kid live in Britain and not know the Rolling Stones?

Before we bought our books and other supplies, the professor led us to a sweet shop, so that she could explain our family history. Our parents were murdered by evil Wizard Lord Voldemort, who was killed when his curse rebounded as he tried to murder little Harry. Voldemort's body was never found. That's where Harry's scar came from. The Dursleys lied to us. Our parents were heroes. So was Harry. That's why Harry was the famous 'boy that lived'. I wasn't even there when our parents were murdered. Harry is a hero and I'm just an ordinary small girl, who was in hospital when her parents were murdered.

We visited the Potter family vault at Gringott's bank. Everyone acted as if Harry really was famous and important. Everyone's great surprise that Harry has a sister made me feel even smaller than I am. We each got a sack full of coins to pay back the professor, buy our books and supplies, purchase a pet, and have a bit left in our pockets. Professor Trelawney says having spare coin in your pocket provides independence and that is important. It amazes me how much my outlook has changed just from knowing that Harry and I have enough money to live comfortably. It does give me extra courage.

When we were at the bank, we met a huge Wizard named Hagrid, who was there on important school business he couldn't talk about. Hagrid is a huge, gentle, kind teddy bear. He brought a birthday cake for both of us - well, actually it said 'Happy Birthday Harry', but he pretended it was also for me. The four of us devoured it, right there in the bank. When we finished, he patted his pocket, telling us "gotta get this back to Professor Dumbledore." He lifted both of us up together in one arm hugs, telling us to mind Professor Trelawney and he'd see us on the boat.

I must mention the pets. Harry has a white owl named Hedwig. I have a cat named Ringo. Ringo has three dark rings on his tail. Other than that, he's all light grey, with a fox-shaped head. He is a ratter, which means he is a very big and tough cat. I think a cat is a better pet. It is much more affectionate. An owl can deliver messages, but Harry doesn't have anyone to message.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four – It's a Really Cool Choo-Choo**

"Hurry children, we go down this ramp for platform 9-3/4."

"Professor Trelawney – I must speak with you, it is urgent."

"Professor Sprout? What… I must go children. You must go just down the ramp and turn to the left. Between platforms 9 and 10. Big brick pillar, you can't miss it. I'll follow along, when I can."

We found platforms 9 and 10. We even found the brick pillar. I knew there couldn't possibly be a 9-3/4 and there wasn't. The professor was an extremely odd woman. Was she laughing with the Sprout woman about how easily Harry and I were fooled. But… nobody could possibly be as big as Hagrid. At least that was real. The Goblins at the bank had seemed real. Who would collect and costume that many midgets just to fool us. Perhaps we would be on telly.

"What can we do Emako? There is no 9-3/4 and there is no door in the pillar."

"We need to wait for the strange professor to return. I don't think she will, but we must wait."

We didn't have to wait long before we spotted a loud family of two adults and four children. The two oldest boys, twins like us, had carts with owl cages on top. That couldn't be coincidence. The mother seemed friendly, so I decided to ask her what we must do.

"Nine and three quarters?" I asked her.

"Follow us dear. You just get a running start and go straight through that brick pillar. Your wand does the trick. Fred and George will go first and show you how it's done."

"Thank you." As I turned away from the woman, to tell Harry what we must do, I saw that the youngest child, a girl who wasn't pushing a baggage cart, was staring fixedly at Harry. I returned the stare and she moved behind her mother.

"I'm Molly Weasley by the way – my husband Arthur, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny."

The twins had just disappeared through the pillar. I must have gulped, because Mrs. Weasley said reassuringly "it really is that easy."

Harry went first, then me, then Ron. It felt a little funny to walk through bricks, but it didn't hurt at all. I just felt the slightest bump and had to push harder for two strides. And then, I burst through to a brighter day and the coolest, most magnificent, antique, coal-fired train I have ever seen. Let's sit together, the Weasley named Ron suggested to me. I'm much better at making new friends than Harry is. Luckily for Harry, I'm happy to share my friends with him. I've taken care of Harry as long as I can remember. That's why it was so unsettling to have everyone in Diagon Alley fawning over famous Harry and treating me like a total unknown. I wasn't used to being the invisible twin.

We were the only three residents of a compartment which could comfortably hold four adults and could easily fit six of our age. I primed the conversation for Harry, as I prodded Ron to tell us what I wanted to know about the Wizarding world.

"Who is Voldemort?" Apparently I wasn't supposed to speak that out loud. He would just have to be 'the Big Bad V' from now on.

Ron's tales of the Big Bad V's killings and general mayhem were chilling. Our parents were far from the only victims. There surely would be other orphans on this train. Ron seemed a little immature for our age, but even he readily grasped how lucky he was to have a fully-intact family. He told us that his Dad worked at the Ministry of Magic under 'the almost totally useless Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge'. A brief mention of my meeting Draco Malfoy, led to a long recitation of problems with the 'rich, devious, snooty, Death Eater Lucius Malfoy' – Draco's father, who had the Minister wrapped around his little finger and hated all things Weasley.

Harry felt prompted to ask why Draco's father hated the Weasleys so much. I grabbed my Divination text and started to read, letting the two of them chat and get more comfortable with each other. I didn't need to do more, it was clear that Ron liked me. I have an intuition about such things. The girls at my old school chased after older boys, saying boys our age are too young to like girls. That's not true. They are just too young to know what to do with that liking and blunder about, embarrassing themselves and us.

There was a knock and the door to our compartment slid open, revealing a bushy-haired girl and a rather over-weight and flustered boy. "Hi, I'm Hermione Granger. This is Neville Longbottom and he's looking for his lost toad…"

As introductory lines go, it wasn't half bad. It took me a minute to realize that Neville actually had lost a toad. What kind of pet is a toad – no affection, no useful delivery services, and it can't help shitting in your hand, if you hold it.

Hermione and Neville joined us for the rest of the trip. I felt at home with these two. Neville was one of the orphans on the train. Hermione reads even more than I do. I liked them both and made sure that they were interested in Harry, before I returned to my book. I noticed that Ron also seemed to like Hermione. That is another problem with boys our age: they can't decide who they like, and no matter how many girls they like, they don't have the courage to actually say they like any of them. This was a prod for me to consider whether I actually liked Ron. I don't think I do. He was just so...awkward, and terribly opinionated for such an awkward boy.

I refocused on the conversation as Ron explained that all the Weasleys were in Gryffindor, which was the best house. Hermione made Ravenclaw sound totally acceptable. At least the Hufflepuffs were friendly.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five – Bad Professor**

"You sent for me, headmaster. I must hurry back. The Potter twins will get lost."

"They are supposed to get lost. The only problem is your persistent interference in defiance of my plan. Yes, Professor Trelawney, this interference with Harry must stop. I sent Hagrid to pick up Harry. Just Harry. I am convinced that the girl, whom you persist in calling his twin, should not be here. You are going to spoil everything and Voldemort will live and rule all of us. Well, all remaining Witches and Wizards. He's certain to kill us."

"They are such delightful children, headmaster. It seems cruel to manipulate them to be unhappy. I am surprised that you can be so cruel to helpless children."

"Now. Listen. Carefully. I've discussed this with Firenze and I've searched the ancient writings and probed my own intuition – THERE IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A TWIN. I saw you in the station. The girl doesn't even look like Harry. Somebody must have played with your memories. That girl cannot be Harry's sister. Harry is supposed to be a lonely orphan, warped by a mean aunt and uncle. He must be prepared to destroy Voldemort."

"We can't know that the girl isn't his twin. All the records from the time of their birth say she is Harry's twin. Of course I searched the records and old Daily Prophets before I took Emako from Saint Mungo's. All those records can't be wrong. I saw my duty and I did it. I won't allow first-years to be manipulated as you seem intent to do. What would become of Emako, if she is left out of Hogwarts. She'll be just another bewildered Witch in an insane asylum. I've seen too much of that."

"Records can be altered. I've altered records. It's surprisingly easy. This is not your decision. Somebody else can teach Divination. Really, only one divination class is mandated and I can teach it myself. I want you on my faculty, but if you persist in balking me, you are dispensable. Do I make myself clear. I'm the man with the plan and you either get with the plan or you get out. You are to stop interfering with what you call the twins. Harry must not be allowed to follow the lead of his twin. One boy, who rightfully should already be dead, and one girl, who rightfully shouldn't even exist, set against the certain destruction of our world. I concede it is not pleasant, but it is a very easy choice to make. I must say, I liked you much better in your weak, cowering form. I thought after your initial defiance that you had abandoned all of this nonsense. Professor McGonagall has certainly come to her senses. Are you going to get with the program?"

"Yes, headmaster."

She was shaking as she left the office, then she had a good cry. It was a good thing the students hadn't arrived yet. It wasn't a good thing for students to see a crying professor. Crying was useless. She knew that Dumbledore would watch her. She needed allies. She could tell that Hagrid had a soft spot for Harry. She could guide Hagrid on the right path. She must speak to Professor McGonagall.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six – The Sorting Hat**

There were about thirty first years. They all seemed as nervous as we were, as we lined up along the main corridor between tables in the Great Hall. All of the older students were staring at us. Most were cheering, some were jeering at particular students. I was right ahead of Harry in line. As I moved toward the front of the line, I got a clear look at the process.

The student had to sit on a stool and have a dumb-looking pointy hat placed on their head. Then… the hat actually talked. I hadn't known that when I was farther back in the line. The hat named the house the student was required to join, and then a deafening roar of cheers and catcalls arose from the older students, as the first year walked to the table to join their new mates. I could see Hermione and Neville sitting at the Gryffindor table. They had been sorted long minutes ago. There was just one girl ahead of me.

"Perks, Sally-Anne"

She sat. The hat was placed on her head. She screwed up her face in an agony of anticipation.

"Hufflepuff!" The hat called out loudly.

Sally-Anne seemed happy enough with this choice as she walked to the Hufflepuff table, to the cheers of her new mates."

"Potter, Emako"

My turn. I walk confidently to the stool. I take a seat as confidently as possible for a short girl. Professor McGonagall places the sorting hat upon my head. She smiles at me.

"I'm sorry, my dear. I haven't been given any alternative with you. I must put you in Slytherin. You're smart, you have ambition, you even speak Parseltongue. You can do well in Slytherin." the hat whispered to me.

"Please, no. I want Gryffindor, but I'll happily accept any house except Slytherin. Why would you do this to me?"

The hat whispered in my ear "I'm very sorry. I have my orders. Try to make the best of it." It then shouted "Slytherin!"

I almost fell as I slid off the stool. With weak legs, I walked to the Slytherin table. At least the older Slytherins were cheering me. They slid over to make a spot for me… right next to Draco Malfoy.

"Welcome, Potter. I'm sure we'll be great friends. Just take your lead from me and you'll do well in this house. We are the winners. We win at… well, honestly Slytherin wins at everything."

I looked up to see Harry seated with the Sorting Hat on his head.

"Gryffindor!" The hat shouted.

My twin looked very pleased, although he cast a long, sad look in my direction.

Ron Weasley was also sorted into Gryffindor. He left the stool with a huge grin on his face.

I realized that Draco was speaking to me again. "… strange, twins always sort into the same house. Father said that Harry should be a Slytherin but that Dumbledore would cheat to make him a Gryffindor. He said that this whole sorting thing is a fraud."

"Did he specifically say that I would be a Gryffindor."

"If Harry was, then you should have been. Don't be insulted, but I don't think father would have thought it was worth mentioning. Your twin is very famous and father thinks he is important. It is very unusual for father to decide that a child is important. He's never said that about me. Father doesn't waste his words. He did say it was strange that he never knew that Harry had a twin. I told him that I had run into you on Diagon Alley. He also said that he had never heard of a British Witch being named Emako. What does your name mean?"

"Don't know. I never knew my parents. My aunt always said mother was a very strange woman and that if I had known her, I wouldn't have been surprised by my name. I just learned that she lied about how my parents died – murdered by the Big Bad V."

Draco burst out laughing at this, spitting pumpkin juice on my robes.

"Sorry, I've never heard him called that."

"Harry and I made it up, because Professor Trelawney said we mustn't speak his name."

"It's good you said that to me. Don't say it again. It wouldn't go over well with many of the Slytherins. Most of our families supported Voldemort. My father says he's dead. Some say your twin killed him. Don't worry, I don't hold that against you. Father says that was just a story made up by Dumbledore . What can a baby do against Voldemort? He was the most powerful dark Wizard ever. I can teach you a little dark magic, if you like."

There was something about this boy, a self-assurance way beyond our age, which made me want to learn more about him.

"Yes, I'd like that," I told him. "I came here to learn to be a Witch and I'm starting from nothing. Harry and I didn't even know we were magical before yesterday."

"Whoa! We'd better eat. It looks like a lot of food, but the best stuff is disappearing fast."

I loaded my plate with food I had seen, but never been allowed to eat at the Dursleys: beef steak, some lobster, asparagus. I had been required to cook all of these things for the Dursleys and had sneaked the smallest taste of them.

I looked up to see a girl glaring at me.

"I'm Emako Potter," I told her, reaching out my hand.

"Pansy Parkinson." My hand was left hanging there in mid-air. I shrugged my shoulders and returned the hand to the better purpose of shoveling food into my mouth.

"What's her problem?" I asked Draco.

"I think she fancies me."

Oh. Draco was an intriguing puzzle to solve, but was he actually worth fighting over? It sounded like he expected Pansy and me to do exactly that. I saw the obvious advantage in sticking close to Draco. I was a Gryffindor stranded in Slytherin. Draco seemed to be the leader of this pack. I couldn't help but notice that even the older students treated him with respect and that two big, thuggish looking boys in our level attended his every whim, as if he were their employer.

After dessert, I enjoyed two trifles, another treat denied to me by the Dursleys, we were marched into the dungeon level of the castle. We soon arrived at Slytherin House. The common room looked REALLY nice, but I wasn't given time to tarry. Straight up the stairs and into the Witches' dorm. All the first years were together. There were five of us. The only name I knew was Pansy Parkinson. I was about to introduce myself to the other girls, when I felt a really hard slap on my left cheek.

It was Pansy. "Leave Draco alone. He's mine."

"What? You sat with him on the train and now you own him?"

This angered her. She lowered her head and charged, driving me back onto the bed I had intended to claim as my own. Luckily, I managed to get in an uppercut to her jaw before she hit me and knocked out my wind. She sort of rolled off me onto the floor, staring up at me as if she was dumbfounded that I would dare to punch her. A large girl tried to get between us, so we wouldn't continue fighting.

"Do the two of you really want to get in this much trouble on your first day. Stop before you get all of us a detention. I'm Millicent Bulstrode, by the way." She looked at me as she performed this introduction in a way that convinced me she already knew Pansy quite well.

I shook Millicent's hand as Pansy got back on her feet. She gave me an angry look and then drew her wand and pointed it at my chest.

I felt fear mingled with rage. I had no time to pull my own wand, or any idea what I could possibly do if I did manage to get it pointed at her. All of a sudden Pansy rocketed backwards, bouncing off one of the study desks.

"I think you broke my back," Pansy complained as once again she was a heap on the floor. "Where did you learn a curse like that. You're supposed to be a stupid Muggle-born, raised in a Muggle home, who didn't know magic existed."

"Just beginner's luck, I guess."

"Help me get her onto her bed," Millicent ordered. "We can't take her to the infirmary."

I helped Pansy to her bed, making sure her wand stayed on the floor. I might have accidentally stepped on and cracked it. That was a needed precaution to be able to sleep soundly in my new bed.

 **Author's Note:** And we have covered 139 pages of The Philosopher's Stone. The presence of Emako will change some things, but most stay the same. You don't want to read and I certainly don't want to write all the words necessary to describe the things which don't change or to do a far worse job than Ms. Rowling did in describing the people, places, and past of her world. I am trying to write enough to provide bare continuity for the changes.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven – The Potion's Master**

Pansy wasn't out of bed when Millicent, Margaret, Mathilda and I went up for breakfast. The Great Hall was bright and cheery and there was more food than I have ever been allowed to get my hands on for breakfast. Breakfast brought two surprises. The first was an owl. I recognized her as Hedwig. I took the message from her leg. "Meet us on the lawn outside the main entrance, right after potions. H"

I nodded yes without looking over toward the Gryffindor table as I pocketed the note. Draco, who was seated next to me and chatting happily throughout breakfast, expressed curiosity about the owl.

"Just a quick note from Harry. He wants to talk. I'm sure it was a shock to him when we were sorted into different houses," I told Draco.

"Surprised me too."

The second surprise, although it should have come as no surprise to me, was the appearance of Pansy as she slowly entered the Great Hall. She had applied a ton of makeup to her face, but it isn't possible to completely hide a split lip.

Draco looked at her, greeting her with "you look awful, what happened to you?" He said this in a tone which was almost totally lacking in sympathy or concern.

"I fell and hit my face against my desk." Pansy looked upset as she moved way down the table to sit as far from us as the tightly packed Slytherins would allow her to sit.

"Clumsy girl," Draco whispered to me.

Our first class was potions. As we entered the classroom, Pansy approached me. "I think you broke my wand on purpose. If you know what is good for you, you will allow me to partner with Draco."

Draco had a different idea. He was already seated, with his cauldron on the table. He beckoned me to join him. Pansy got ahead of me, but Draco pointed firmly "you're with Goyle, Pansy."

Goyle looked really pleased. He helped Pansy get her cauldron and tools set up on the table as he smiled his foolish smile at her.

Seated diagonally from Draco, Pansy had to whisper rather loudly "on the train, you asked me to be your potions partner."

She had drawn Professor Snape's attention.

Covering his mouth with a piece of parchment, Draco whispered back a little less loudly "things change."

He barely looked at her as he said this.

"Why?" Pansy asked at a volume, which was not at all a whisper.

"Miss Parkinson, is it," Snape sneered. "In my class, students speak only when I request that they speak. Do you understand?" She shook her head yes. "Do you understand, Miss Parkinson?"

"Yes, Sir!"

The class was totally silent as Professor Snape called the class roll. He smiled as he called "Potter, Emako. Potter, Harry" was said with a sterner tone and look, but the roll passed almost uneventfully until the end.

"Ah, we have yet another Mr. Weasley. I hope you won't be like your most recent brothers – always getting into trouble, never knowing their lessons, but always thinking they are… oh so clever. Are you clever, Mr. Weasley?"

"Um no, I hardly even read."

All of the Slytherins' interest perked up as if waiting for a highly entertaining show to begin.

"I cannot recommend not reading, Mr. Weasley. Perhaps if you read you would know what I would get if I mixed powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"Um, wormwood… isn't that used to make the highly intoxicating drink chartreuse. Is Asphodel in that also?"

"No it is not, Mr. Weasley, but if you read just a bit you might know that this mixture produces a powerful sleeping potion known as the Draught of Living Death. You are from a Wizarding family. You should have learned such things as a child. I'll give you another chance. What is the difference between monkshood and wolfbane?"

Ron looked stumped. Meanwhile Snape was looking our way. I followed his eyes to catch Pansy lauching a spit ball right at my face. I raised my arm to block it just as Professor Snape rapped Pansy sharply on the head with his wand.

"Did I not suggest Miss Parkinson, that when I am speaking your attention should be focused entirely upon me, not causing mischief if my class. That will be 10 points from Slytherin and you may see me after class. Did that delay give you time to plumb the…deeeep depths of your mind, Mr. Weasley?"

"No blaze of brilliance? No, Miss Granger, I do not want you to help Mr. Weasley. I am trying to assess Mr. Weasley's troubling paucity of common Wizard knowledge. Mr. Weasley – I await your best attempt."

"I'm sorry, I don't know Sir."

"They are two names for the same plant, as most of your age born into the Wizarding world already know. Well, one last chance Mr. Weasley… can you tell me where I might find a bezoar?"

"Are'nt they found in goats' stomachs, sir?"

"I'm quizzing you Mr. Weasley, not the other way around. Is that your answer?"

"Yes, Sir, it is."

"Well that's one of three. A very poor showing I must say. I'd blame your parents and take 5 points from the Burrow, but I can't, so that is 5 points from Gryffindor. I hope I have impressed upon all of you that things could go badly for you if you don't read your text. Class dismissed. Potter twins – please see me after class."

Everyone but Harry, Pansy, and I took the invitation to get out of the room, before Professor Snape could attack anyone else.

Professor Snape took Pansy to the side of the room, but spoke loudly enough that he must have wanted Harry and me to hear what he said. "Ms. Parkinson, I warned you, yet you acted up again. See me after dinner for detention. And Ms. Parkinson, I don't like to see Slytherin's fighting among themselves. It would be very foolish of you to continue to act against a fellow Slytherin who is under my special protection. Do I make myself clear? Nevermind, it will all be clear this evening. Now, get out!"

Pansy fled the room.

"I just wanted to get a good look at the two of you," Professor Snape said as he approached us. I knew both your parents. I knew Lily even before she came to Hogwarts. I can't believe anybody could doubt that you are Harry's sister. You, Emako, look VERY much like your mother did at your age. May I borrow one of your hairs?"

I tilted my head toward him and Professor Snape plucked several hairs from it. He held them up to the light and examined the roots. "Red all the way to the bottom. I have never seen the sorting hat sort twins into different houses. Student and professor, I've been here a very long time, I've seen many twins and they have always been sorted into the same house." He placed my hairs in his pocket.

"Harry, you have your mother's eyes. Other than that, you remind me very much of James. James and I did not always get along, but I am pleased to instruct his son. Both of you may go."

"That was more than strange," Harry told me. "Did the hat speak to you. It spoke to me. It wanted to put me into Slytherin, but I begged for Gryffindor. Did it speak to you?"

"I begged for any house other than Slytherin. The hat said it was sorry, but it had been given no choice and I should try to make the best of Slytherin. We must stay together. I won't let whoever it is drive us apart."

"Neither will I. You're the only person I've ever had to trust and rely on. Did you get my owl? Good, but change of plans. We're meeting Hagrid. Can you join us? We'll, that's Ron and me, will meet you where I said in my note. I miss you."

Harry hugged me. Then he suddenly turned and walked away. He had spotted Draco walking toward us.

"Associating with Gryffindors, Potter? That's not the done thing."

"He's my twin. Twins can't bear to be separated. If you had a twin, or even a sibling in another house, you'd understand. If you and I are to get along, you need to understand that I need to spend time with my twin and that I will always be very protective of him. You also should realize that this means I will be spending time with his chums."

"Alright Emako, I'll think about that. It makes sense, but he's the boy who killed Voldemort."

"He was little more than a baby. He just lay there while Voldemort killed himself. You also should remember that, although I have no memory of my parents, Voldemort murdered my parents. That makes me think of him as my enemy. Don't expect to hear me speak fondly of Voldemort."

"Okay, I'll also think about that. You are a very strange Slytherin."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight – A Visit With Hagrid**

I explained again to Draco why I felt a need to rush away to meet with Hagrid, not just with my twin, but also with Ron – perhaps the Gryffindor whom Draco thought the least. "He's my twin, Ron is his only friends. I like you a lot, but I don't feel like a real Slytherin, and I need their guidance."

"I know all that. I'll cover for you. A lot of the kids in this house wouldn't approve of your chumminess with any Gryffindors. Weasley's an ignorant clown, but really, I do understand. I don't think you are giving Slytherin a totally fair chance. I'm Slytherin and you like me. Not all Slytherins are like Goyle and Pansy. Some are serious students, determined to honestly make something of themselves. They aren't all Death Eater Wannabes. I'll try to introduce you to some Slytherins, whom I think are very much like yourself. You are sharing a dorm room with two of them. That will also give you the protection you need from Pansy, without resorting to breaking her replacement wand, which should come in tomorrow's post."

Harry, and Ron were waiting for me. They were standing behind a tree, out of sight of the castle entrance.

"Sorry, I wanted to slip away unnoticed, and I wanted Draco to understand why I was going to meet you. I AM in Slytherin House."

"I don't like Draco, he's a git," Ron spoke up quickly. "Why are you in Slytherin. Does the Hat know that there is something wrong with you."

Best friend of Harry, notwithstanding, this did not sit well with me. Hermione was welcome to have Ron all to herself. "Draco doesn't much like or respect you either. I'll tell the two of you the same thing I told Draco. I like Draco. Harry is my twin and I love him. I don't want the three of you to fight. As for me, I'm sure I'm not supposed to be in Slytherin. That's one of the things I want you to help me figure out. The Sorting Hat actually apologized to me. It said that it had been given no choice, other than to put me in Slytherin. I want to know who forced the hat to do that and why. Remember, Harry, Professor Snape said he thought we were the first twins to be assigned to different houses. Something is wrong. I know it!"

"I know he's your house master, but I don't think you should believe everything Snape says. He was really nasty to Ron. Also, it really creeped me out listening to him talking to us as if we were our parents. He sees you as our mother. I get the feeling he may have liked our mother overly much."

"I got the same feeling. Perhaps Hagrid can tell us something. He should at least be able to tell us if we really look all that much like our parents or whether that is just in Professor Snape's head. You heard what he said about me: I'm under his special protection. Now THAT is creepy, but it should protect me from Pansy Parkinson. She's jealous that Draco likes me."

"And that's totally barf worthy," Ron told me.

I chose not to respond. We were already at Hagrid's door and Harry had knocked.

I could tell that Hagrid was surprised to see me. I think he was frightened. How could I possibly frighten such a huge Wizard. He rushed us into his hut, looking behind us to be sure nobody had seen us approach his hut.

I chanced to ask him a question. "Do I really look like my mother?"

"Yer could be her. Except for the eyes, Harry looks like James. Lots of students look like a parent or a brother. Can always tell a Weasley." He gave Ron a pat on the shoulder, which doubled Ron over.

"Snape hates me," Ron complained.

"Professor Snape acts meaner 'an he is. It gets you lot to behave. Always pretends to hate some un."

"It's not pretend," Ron shuddered.

Harry picked up an open newspaper on Hagrid's table. "Gringott's Break-In" read the headline. Hagrid explained that this was unusual, because Gringott's was so secure that a robbery was all but impossible. Nothing had been stolen. The thieves had broken into an empty vault. I saw that the theft happened shortly after we had left Gringott's.

"We saw you there," I reminded Hagrid. "We shared a cake you brought for our birthdays, or I guess really just for Harry's birthday."

"Wasn't supposed to bring you to Hogwarts was I. Dumbledore said bring Harry – just Harry. Oops, I suppose I shouldn't have said that."

"You picked up something from the vaults for Hogwarts, didn't you?" Harry asked him. "You patted your pocket. It must have been a smallish package."

"Nope, that were the cake,"

"The other pocket."

"Not going to talk about that. Can't talk about that. Told you too much already. It's been nice visiting with you. It's time to move along. You wouldn't want anyone to see you leaving. Move among the trees. That's what I'd do, if I was you. Bye."

We left. "That guy is bonkers," Ron concluded.

It was strange, but I thought I now had at least a hint of why I was in Slytherin. Why did Dumbledore want to treat me so poorly? I must try to catch Professor Trelawney alone.

I hugged Harry goodbye telling him "perhaps I should go on ahead, so we aren't seen together. Goodbye Ron."

Ron gave the merest of waves and said not a thing.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine – What The Heck Is Going On Around Here?"**

Draco was waiting for me outside Slytherin House. "Let's take a walk. I want to find out what happened. I promise, I will do my best to avoid fighting your twin or his friend Ron, although Ron has a level of ignorance and a face which just call out for a smack. Are there other Harry friends whom I must behave around? It's not natural for Slytherins and Gryffindors not to fight. That's why Hogwarts divides us up by houses."

"Thank you," I gave Draco a peck on the cheek.

He steered me into a dark dead-end corridor for a full-on snog. I'm not even sure how much I like Draco, but I found it exciting and I respected Draco's boldness. My first snog! A great adventure. It might as well be Draco. At least I liked him a little, and this would seal the deal to keep Harry safe. Protecting Ron was also important. I liked him a little too, but mainly I knew that Harry had such a hard time making friends without me, that he would cling to Ron and feel obliged to fight to defend him, If Draco attacked. I didn't want any of them to get hurt or to get into trouble for fighting. If Harry was expelled, he would literally have no place to go. I also would have to leave Hogwarts to watch over Harry. I didn't want to do that. This place had many secrets and they interested me. There was just an extra level of excitement here, which was missing from our old school.

"So, are you going to tell me what happened or not," Draco pressed me. I must have ignored his first prompt.

"Yes. Hagrid let slip that he was supposed to bring Harry, but not me, to Hogwarts. Those were Headmaster Dumbledore's orders. I'm here only because Professor Trelawney picked up both Harry and me. It seemed like she really wanted to guarantee that I made it to Hogwarts."

"That is strange. Father says that except for sometimes Snape, the professors at Hogwarts do exactly what Dumbledore wants them to do. He says if anything underhanded is afoot at Hogwarts, that one can be assured that Dumbledore is behind it. Father says 'that old Wizard cheats, manipulates, intimidates, lies, and breaks whatever rule he thinks necessary to get his way. He feels superior to everyone in our and the Muggle world and believes he is always right, however crazy the scheme he is pursuing.' Father told me to give him a wild berth. He seems a harmless old coot, but he is dangerous. He defeated Gellert Grindelwald, the third greatest dark Wizard - ever. Father said that 'just out of Hogwarts, Dumbledore is said to have become very great friends with Grindelwald.' He said he'd leave it to me to figure out what that implied."

"Oh. He sounds dangerous."

"He is dangerous and it worries me that you seem to be on his bad side. We must learn more, but we need to be careful. Dumbledore has spies everywhere – can't trust any adult, except Snape. Father says that he knows Voldemort died when he attacked your brother, but that Dumbledore is convinced Voldemort still lives. That is the source of his madness. He sees Voldemort around every corner.

"It's ancient history and one that I'm not proud of, but my family knew Death Eaters. They were the disciples of Voldemort. They fought by his side and on their own. They wore bright, polished golden masks, so that nobody could tell who they were. I've seen pictures of Death Eaters. Voldemort was always the tall guy in the middle.

There were just a few of them, but they had the will and ability to Imperius others – that's a curse that will bend another totally to your will – to act like Death Eaters. People who would never fight in the streets or be violent in any way – really civilized Wizards - would use the 'Avada Kedavra' curse to kill opponents of Voldemort. It was scary times. There would be a green flash and someone would just be dead on the ground, without any sign of physical damage. My father was Imperiused by a Voldemort supporter. He is embarrassed that it shows what he regards as a great weakness of will. Worse, he doesn't know if he killed, while he was Imperiused. Can you imagine? You walk into a large dinner party – you can't go to any large gathering and not meet at least two families who lost a loved one to the Avada Kedavra - and you can't be certain that you weren't the killer. Father has nightmares. I've said too much, you should go. Father doesn't want me to speak of things like this."

"I must visit Professor Trelawney."

"Okay. She's a real scaredy-kitten, so it won't be easy. You can't take the lead and incriminate yourself, in case she spills to Dumbledore. You have to encourage her and build her courage, so that she tells you what she knows with only little hints from you. I know when the Slytherin third years have divination. I'll take you there tomorrow. It's a free time for us. You really aren't at all a typical Slytherin girl. I believe that you don't really belong here."

"Maybe you aren't interested in a typical Slytherin girl."

"Maybe not. Although you're more Slytherin than you think. You're sly and you fight. A Gryffindor girl wouldn't have fought Pansy like you did. You really messed her up. She'll leave you alone. I hardly had to lean on her. You and Snape scared the crap out of her. Still, the other girls I'm going to team you up with will have your back. We'll get together after dinner. You're smart, you can afford to miss a little study time. We'll go in separately. See you after dinner. Wait for me at table." He gave me another kiss and then walked away.

I hardly tasted my food, I felt such a sense of keen anticipation to perhaps make two friends among my bunk mates. Daphne Greengrass and Millicent Bullstrode seemed close to Pansy, but hadn't done anything overt against me. They seemed most intent on keeping Pansy out of trouble. My other two roomies were twins: Melissa and Brinda Marcon. They seemed friendly enough, but we barely spoke. They mainly spoke to each other and seemed incredibly shy. Between them, they might have spoken half a dozen sentences to me and one to Daphne. They avoided Pansy and Millicent. They shared a bunk, which is why I initially thought there were only five girls in our room.

They were smaller than me, both shorter and thinner. I know my small stature is partly the result of not being particularly well nourished by the Dursleys. I wondered about the reason for their size. They were very attractive, but very different from me. They had an olive complexion, brown eyes, and black hair. They both smiled a lot more than I do, looking as if they were perpetually on the verge of bursting out in raucous laughter. I liked them.

I also worried that I really wasn't supposed to be at Hogwarts and had stolen a bunk from them. I offered to return it and sleep on the floor until whoever was responsible for such things got us another bed. They declined. They were happy as they were. Then… they looked as if they might have shocked my sense of propriety.

"No," I hastened to reply, "I still slept with my twin, before Hogwarts and he's a boy and he has his nice bedroom, which he often snuck away from to join me in the cramped cupboard beneath the stairs."

It seems that by trying to reassure them that they hadn't shocked me that I succeeded in shocking their sense of propriety, as there was a long silence before Brinda asked: "You both do at least where clothes to bed… don't you?'

Of course we did. Harry's my twin, not my romantic love interest.

All the other students had left the Great Hall by the time Draco brought the twins to "really meet Emako – you have so much is common. Magical twins are very special."

All three of us liked to read and study, they could well have been Ravenclaws as could I, they weren't any more athletic than me, their family did not approve of Voldemort, they were intrigued by Harry and me, but too shy to say much. I promised to introduce them to Harry.

We hung out together after Draco left us. We wandered the halls and chatted, ending up at the library, where we shared a table for study.

Draco kept his other promise. Next afternoon, he led me up to a tower I never could have found myself. "Up those stairs, through the door. Trelawney is teaching in there right now. I know you don't want me around when you talk to her, so I'll see you on the Quidditch pitch – we've got broom training today. Remember what I told you yesterday: make Trelawney commit herself, before you do."

Soon the class rushed past me. I climbed the stairs to confront Professor Trelawney. She seemed surprised and less than pleased to see me. Actually, she looked terrified.

"Were you seen coming here? The walls quite literally have ears. I think we'll be safe over there in the corner".

She started a crank phonograph to playing dreary music and led me to the corner. "You want to know why you aren't in Gryffindor with Harry. I've done all I can. My livelihood was threatened. The headmaster will chuck me out if he knows I still help you. I've talked to Professor McGonagall and she promised to keep an eye out on your behalf. She is fiercely protective of Harry, and to a lesser extent, you. I really don't know where else I can turn for help, without reports flowing back to Dumbledore."

I suggested that Snape seemed protective of me, even forcing Pansy to halt her feud. "I think it's that I look so much like my mother. Even Hagrid agrees that I look like her. Professor Snape just looked at me so strangely."

"You do look like your mother. It is ridiculous for the headmaster to pretend otherwise. Your mother was the love of Snape's life. I don't know if I should tell you anything else. It's too early for you or Harry to hear what I can tell you, but I'm not at all sure I'll be given another chance to speak to you. Nor am I sure that speaking to you won't put you at greater risk. I wish I could consult by ball. Please… give me just a few minutes alone with my ball."

I sat down and waited. And I waited some more. When Professor Trelawney returned, she seemed more determined.

"Do you know what prophesy is?"

When I admitted that I did not know, she explained "I'm a seer. Sometimes I fall into a deep trance and have a waking dream about future events. It's very unnerving really, but it's a gift and I must not begrudge it."

I nodded encouragement.

"I had a prophetic vision concerning your twin. I also had a vivid sleeping dream about you, but that wasn't at all detailed, just a sense that you were important to our future and that I must do what was necessary to protect you. Somehow, you and Voldemort play a part in each other's future. I sensed that, but there was no more detail."

"Your vision about Harry…?

"It's about Harry and Voldemort. Only I, Dumbledore, and Snape know about that prophecy. Well… I suppose Professor Snape let it slip to Voldemort… really, that was a very foolish…"

"Miss Potter, I was unaware that you were scheduled to study Divination this term."

It was Dumbledore. The phonograph was so loud that he was able to sneak up on us undetected. I had no idea how much of our conversation he had overheard. I decided to bluff.

"No, of course I'm not formally studying Divination, but… I had a very vivid dream last night… it was even in color. I thought Professor Trelawney might be able to explain it. The dream frightened me and I didn't want to fall asleep tonight and have my mind captured by a powerful dream I couldn't understand. Last night I had to fight myself awake. I was certain I would die if I didn't wake up fast."

"That does sound serious. What was the dream and how did you interpret it?"

This last question was addressed to Professor Trelawney, at least she's the one Dumbledore was looking at intently as he spoke the question. I didn't trust the professor to think quickly on her feet, as frightened as she now was, so I answered for her.

"I was walking down a stone corridor… I'm certain it was right here at Hogwarts. I heard footfalls behind me and turned around to see a wand pointed right at me. I was frightened by the wand, but more so by the appearance of my attacker… he was very tall and he wore a golden mask over his face. Not being able to see his face made it so much more frightening. Then his voice was so cruel and taunting as he told me "goodbye Miss Potter – Avada Kedavra." I was blinded by a bright green flash and felt like I was endlessly falling. I don't know what that means. I saw it as a threat. Can somebody just threaten you by manipulating your dreams. I don't know enough about magic to say. That's why I came to Professor Trelawney. She knows about interpreting dreams and she brought Harry and me to Hogwarts."

"I told Miss Potter that she clearly dreamt of a Death Eater attack," the professor explained to Headmaster Dumbledore. "I told her that there was no reason to believe the events of her dream would actually happen."

"Yes, that would frighten anyone," Dumbledore sympathized. "Do you think the attacker could have been Voldemort, himself, here at Hogwarts?" Dumbledore sounded like he was having his fun with both of us.

"I don't know. I wouldn't recognize Voldemort even if his face was bare. But why should I feel threatened by Voldemort? Harry killed him."

"Why indeed. Now that you have your answer, perhaps you should run along," Miss Potter. "Please stop by my office right after breakfast tomorrow. I must speak to you… alone."

That panicked me. I raced back to the Quidditch pitch. Draco was waiting for me. The other students hadn't arrived yet. We were alone.

"You look awful. Did you take too direct an approach and Trelawney went running to Dumbledore? Did she at least tell you something important?"

"Much worse! I think she wanted to tell me something important, but Dumbledore interrupted us, before she could tell me. That's very bad, isn't it. I tried to give a good excuse for being in her classroom, but Dumbledore wants to talk to me after breakfast, tomorrow."

"It's bad. We need to talk. Sit down beside me."

Fifteen minutes later, that's how Harry and Ron found us. We were locked in heated conversation, when I was shocked to hear Ron tell Harry "you should tell your sister to be more careful about whom she lies around on the grass with."

Ron sounded angry. His tone made me angry. Draco and I were not lying on the grass. We were sitting two feet part. This was not a romantic moment. This was a desperately serious strategy session.

My mind was not focused on our broom lesson. I had difficulty hovering and maneuvering ahead a few feet. My broom dumped me on my arse.

The overweight kid I had seen with Harry just shot up into the sky, fell off his broom, and crashed. Our teacher took him to the nurse. While they were gone, picked up something the kid had dropped and gave it to Draco. Draco was about to hand the marble thingy to Harry, when Ron loudly declared "I'll bet you stole it, didn't you?"

Draco took off on his broom, soaring higher and higher. I could tell that Harry wanted to give chase. I also knew that Harry had never learned to ride a broom.

"Don't!" I shouted at Harry.

He didn't listen to me. He and Draco played chase for a while, then it looked like Draco threw the marble toward the castle. Harry went swooping after it and caught it just above the ground. I had to close my eyes, thinking he would crash and die. I couldn't bear to see that. He didn't die, but Professor McGonagall came and practically dragged him into the castle.

"I did try to behave," Draco told me. I punched his shoulder.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten – A Meeting With The Headmaster**

I was thrilled that rather than being lectured at or asked impossible questions, we actually brewed a potion in potions class. I learned that I'm good at potion making. As expected, I paired with Draco. Not as expected, Draco allowed Muggle-born me to take the lead, helping me by chopping ingredients and reading the text to me as I worked. Potions making is much like cooking and Aunt Petunia had required me to do most of the cooking, from the age I was old enough to reach the stove top.

As he roamed among the potions benches, Professor Snape frequently paused at our table. He complimented me on the quality of my work. I knew he was being sincere, because I just felt that I was good at this. On his last pass by our cauldron, his message was more for Draco than for me: "excellent work Ms. Potter. If I could have a few minutes of your time after class, Mr. Malfoy."

He was gone, before Draco could say a word. I couldn't imagine what Draco had done to get into trouble. His focus had been entirely upon me and helping me to prepare the potion. He hadn't so much as glanced at either Pansy or either of the Gryffindor benches.

I was worried, so I waited outside the potions room. I wanted to know immediately what complaint Professor Snape could have about Draco's conduct.

I waited ten minutes. Draco did not look chastened, so I assumed it couldn't have been too awful.

"I didn't do anything wrong. Professor Snape said I should consider this a prophylactic talk. He mainly talked about himself and your mother. He once drove her away by accidentally calling her a Mud-blood – that's about as nasty an insult that you can hurl at a Muggle-born Wizard. It means dirty blood or mixed blood. Ignorant pure bloods practically despise the Muggle-born. Anyway, Professor Snape warned me that I must never call anyone a Mud-blood, unless I am eager to lose your love and friendship."

"You wouldn't say anything that nasty."

"The old me might have. We pick up things our parents say. I've heard my father say that twice. Some of his friends say it a lot. It's a Slytherin thing. The Slytherin House master has used that insult to rouse up the house against Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. The older students told me that Professor Snape has done that every year – until now. It's strange – both ways. Snape is a Muggle-born. So was Voldemort.

"I mentioned this to Professor Snape and asked why he had changed. He said things at Hogwarts were too disturbed to encourage such nonsense. He needed calm to figure out what was wrong. He said he wants to protect me from the special nastiness he senses. Do you think I need Snape's protection?"

I angered Draco by foolishly responding: "of course you don't – not with Goyle and Crabbe."

He stomped off, without a kiss or even a goodbye. I searched for him. When I found him an hour later, I apologized and kissed him.

"It's alright. You really do always say what you think. I didn't pick Crabbe and Goyle as protectors. My father picked them – I suspect he pays them. I don't know if they are mainly supposed to protect me or to spy on me. I know Goyle sends off an awful lot of owls. I caught him receiving an owl message written in father's hand. I didn't recognize the owl, but I wouldn't expect father to be so stupid as to use an owl I might recognize."

We made up and snogged and went off to dinner together.

Dumbledore's simple announcement chilled me to the bone.

"Professor Trelawney's mother has taken ill again. The professor fears this might be the end and has asked to be excused for the remainder of term. If you have first level Divination, I shall be your instructor. If you have second level, the course is canceled, but you have sufficient time to choose another course. Professor Trelawney hopes to be with us again after Christmas break."

I turned to look at Draco. He was looking at me and he was as white as I felt I must be. This was very serious. I had a private meeting in less than a day with the powerful Wizard who had just done who knows what to Professor Trelawney, simply because I had met with her. What would he do to me? He hadn't wanted me at Hogwarts. He hadn't wanted me in the Wizarding world at all and he most certainly hadn't wanted me anywhere near his precious Harry.

I couldn't sleep. I played the possibilities over and over in my head. What had Dumbledore overheard? What would Professor Trelawney have admitted to, before he did whatever he had done to her? It was all my fault that she was gone.

Being awake, but lying quietly amidst my thoughts, I was able to spot Pansy leaving her bed and our dorm room. Her actions seemed furtive, so I followed her far enough to determine that this wasn't a bathroom run. Nor had she gone to our common room to read. I peered down the stairs and spied her leaving the common room and turning left into the corridor. I wasn't dressed for following her, so I returned to bed.

I must have fallen asleep, because I heard Pansy's snores. I got out of bed and dressed. The twins were stirring, so I asked them to join me for breakfast. I told them about Pansy. Brinda said that she saw Pansy sneak out once, about three days ago. I confided my worry about being called to Dumbledore's office after he caught me speaking to Professor Trelawney.

"And now Trelawney is gone." Brinda observed.

"Exactly. Now you understand why I'm so worried."

Draco joined us. "I came up early – I suspected you wouldn't be able to sleep and would need a comforter. I see you found two. I know when I'm redundant."

Breakfast was a blur, just tasteless food shoveled into my mouth. Draco watched me almost eating. He looked worried for me.

"You can do this," Draco assured me. "Fill your head with other thoughts so he can't read your mind. It is said that Dumbledore can do that, although he's not supposed to do it with a student. As I say, he cheats. I'm told that his favorite phrase in these situations is 'is there something you wish to tell me?' It's a trap, but you can't just refuse to play his game. You have to give him something, just not something terribly important that he doesn't already know. You'll be fine. It doesn't hurt to ask him early along 'are you snooping in my head, it feels like you are?' That should put him on guard that you might report him. You're a Slytherin. You are as cunning as he is. You don't know what he wormed out of Trelawney, so it is best to lie as little as possible and to only tell plausible lies – things you might have misunderstood are fine. Good luck!"

"Just make sure you send the owl right away."

The door to Dumbledore's office opened and I walked in. "You wanted to speak to me headmaster."

As he led me further into his office, I saw that Harry was already seated and facing Dumbledore's desk. I took the other seat, reaching out to hold Harry's hand and give it a little squeeze.

"Do you have anything to tell me, Miss Potter?"

"Yes, I do. In case you have plans to make me disappear like you did with Professor Trelawney, you should know that Draco has sent an owl to his father. He will make sure that all the Wizards know what you did to me and to her. You never wanted me here. You didn't want me to live at the Dursleys or to ever see Harry . I'm here only because Professor Trelawney intervened to save me. Yesterday you were very upset that I would ask Professor Trelawney to help interpret my dream. You never told me that I couldn't talk to any of the professors, and yet she is the second professor who seemed almost too frightened to talk to me. Then right after she talked to me you announced that she was gone. Did you kill her?"

"What? Is that really how the Slytherins think of me? No, of course I didn't kill her and I wouldn't harm you. I'm not in the habit of murdering my faculty. I just suggested that she take off a few months and learn to stifle her rebelliousness. It really is a new side of her personality, which began with your appearance in our lives. Now that I've answered your question I will ask again if there is anything you want to tell me."

"Yes, I suppose there is."

I felt a tickle in my brain and mentally swatted it away. I guess, in my anger at such a very personal intrusion, I must have swatted it away very soundly, because Dumbledore winced in pain and put a hand to his forehead.

"That is very rude and I was led to believe that snooping in a student's brain is not permitted. Do it again and I won't be so gentle. Okay, what do I want to tell you? I guess the first thing is that I know you want to separate me from Harry. I know you've told more than one professor that I don't really exist, that I'm some sort of fraud and not really Harry's sister, that you've seen me and that I don't look at all like Harry or my parents. You seem to think that I was magically conjured up by some evil Wizard, like McGonagall changed her desk into a pig."

"That was a serious mistake. As a one-year old you didn't look like much of anything. I truly believed Harry didn't have a sister, so you must be a phony and Professor Trelawney was duped. This year I just saw you at a distance at the train station. Perhaps I saw what I wanted to see. Yes, seeing you up close, of course you must be Lily's daughter. Yes, I know I've wronged you. Blame it on an old Wizard's conceit that an impression he had when you were one-year old must be true. Perhaps my mind was tampered with, so that I would do something truly horrible. It is my career to protect and nurture students. I can't explain why I decided to throw you away, other than I thought that was necessary so that Harry could become Harry.

"And no, of course you weren't just conjured up. You can't make a living thing by transfiguration. Professor McGonagall made a poor imitation of a pig. I'll bet she turned it back to a desk almost at once. That's because such a pig, even one created by as gifted a Witch as Professor McGonagall can only last for a couple dozen heartbeats. You can't fake life. A magically created life can't think, or grow, or survive for more than minutes. As I said, I am truly sorry, but I interrupted you, please continue."

"I know that Emako is real. I've lived with her my entire life." Harry had no doubts. "I am a real boy, with a real life. To this real boy, I'm Emako's twin, not 'the boy who lived' or 'the famous Harry Potter'. I'm lost here. I don't know whom I can trust, apart from Emako and Ron. I know I shouldn't trust you."

"Would you rather just go home and give up on being a Wizard," Dumbledore asked Harry. Harry only shrugged.

I broke the silence.

"I know that you forced the sorting hat to put me into Slytherin. I know that you made sure I had no warning that it would be a very bad thing for me to say anything bad about Voldemort or to call him 'the Big Bad V' to members of Slytherin House. I know that with no home-learned defensive magical skills, you expected Pansy to seriously injure me, or worse. The second thing I want to tell you is that I know you believe Voldemort is still alive. I guess the third thing I should say is that Draco Malfoy is my new boyfriend."

"That's quite a lot. I know that Pansy attacked you and that your wild magic almost killed her. I know that what you just did to find me inside your head and throw me out is very powerful magic. Yes, I wanted Harry here without you. I believe that Harry is very important to all of our futures and I didn't want to risk you messing that up. I didn't believe Professor Trelawney when she said that you somehow were important. I thought she was justifying her balking of my plans for Harry. I was wrong. Your magic is very strong and Harry needs you.

"I now see that you may be almost as important as Harry. I also see that many of my faculty will turn against me if I don't accept you. I would have made absolutely certain you never came to Hogwarts, had I realized the extreme effect you would have upon Professor Snape. You are too much like your mother and I handled the situation clumsily. I'd move you to Gryffindor, if I could, but that would raise far too many questions and put you and Harry at greater risk. Having you inside Slytherin might help us. Draco can be saved and I'm sure other Slytherins will follow the two of you."

Harry banged his fist on the desk.

"I want Emako. I hardly see her. I need her back. You say you are a friend and you want to help me, but you act like an enemy. If you want to be my friend, then give back Emako." Harry told Dumbledore.

Dumbledore shrugged and spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness.

"Now you see me as your spy inside Slytherin?" I asked Dumbledore. "There are some Slytherins I don't like, but I won't betray Draco."

"No, not exactly a spy. To ask someone to spy for you is to put them at very grave risk. Is there anything you want to ask or tell me about your conversation with Professor Trelawney?"

"She had a secret to tell me. You interrupted us before she could tell me what that secret is. I know that it involves Voldemort and Harry and me. What is the secret? I feel I can't be safe unless I know the secret."

I felt Dumbledore inside my head again and swatted him out of my mind as hard as I could. Dumbledore screamed, held his head in both hands and lowered it to his desktop.

"Sorry, but I warned you not to do that. Draco told me that it is illegal and warned me that you would try regardless of that. He knows about you."

"Ah. And has Draco told you that his father is a Death Eater? That's one of the supporters of the dark Wizard Voldemort – the Wizard who murdered your parents and almost killed Harry."

"He told me that his father was Imperiused into behaving like a Death Eater."

"Yes, that is one possible explanation for Lucius Malfoy's behavior. Unfortunately, that is the explanation that our government chose to accept and Lucius is a free man and the power behind the Minister. I am quite certain he actually was a Death Eater… is still a Death Eater. I have no problem with Draco. You might be a good influence upon him. But, you should take this warning very seriously: Lucius Malfoy is a very serious threat to you, to Harry, and to those around you. He will do his best to corrupt his own son."

"So you know better than the government about Draco's father. You didn't answer my question about the secret."

"I know I didn't. It would be dangerous to tell you the secret now. You are too young to understand and you would do something foolish. You would do well to heed my warning about Lucius Malfoy. He is evil."

"Thank you. I will be on my guard."

"Must go!" Harry declared as he stood up and grabbed my hand. I let him lead me out of the office. He was very upset and trying not to cry.

Draco was waiting. "The owl got away safely," he told me. "Professor Sprout arrived at the Owlery just a minute after my owl left." I told her "you're too late, now Dumbledore won't be able to hurt Emako."

"That certainly could have gone better," Dumbledore said to nobody in particular.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven – Troll!

Professor Sprout showing up in the owlery really spooked Harry.

"Dumbledore has all of his professors working with him to keep us apart. I know they are going to find a way to remove you from Hogwarts."

"I won't allow that to happen," Draco told Harry.

"I won't either, although I share your fear. Professor Trelawney was my ally. Now she's gone."

I took deep breaths to calm myself. I hugged both Draco and Harry. After an hour, I got Harry settled down and told him that we must use our energies to force Dumbledore to allow us to spend more time together.

"How?" Harry plaintively asked me.

"We force the issue," I replied as Draco nodded his assent. "We have a little time after breakfast and lunch, before we need to be in class. Let's just get together at those times every day. There is a lot of time after dinner. We can meet in the library when we both don't have class. You can bring Ron, I'll bring Draco. We don't confront Dumbledore, unless he tries to stop us. What valid reason can he offer for stopping us. It isn't against the rules to hang out with members of another house. Slytherins and Gryffindors aren't required to always be at each other's throats."

I noticed during dinner that Dumbledore eyed Harry, and then Draco and me, several times over dinner. I didn't know what this meant. After dinner, Draco and I walked over to Harry at the Gryffindor table. Ronald Weasley seemed very surprised by this, but did agree to join us.

There was still a little light left, so we walked straight to the main entrance, out the door, and seated ourselves on the top step. I felt very happy as the meat in the middle of a sandwich – Harry was huddled up against my left flank, Draco's hip was touching mine and he had an arm around my shoulder. I felt very secure. It was strange: Ron was seated about four feet on Harry's other side, so he was actually closer to Draco than to Harry. We had a pleasant, if almost empty of significance, chat for about five minutes, before the door opened and Dumbledore walked out.

"Don't mind me, I just wanted to make certain the four of you hadn't wandered off and gotten into trouble. The grounds can be dangerous at night, but you should be safe where you are. Please come in before it is completely dark. Are you certain that you are meant to be a part of this meeting, Ron?"

That gave us something to talk about. Clearly we had been checked up on. Equally clearly, Dumbledore didn't think he could stop us from just sitting and talking. I think our meeting was viewed as suspicious. I wondered what the headmaster's next move would be.

Ron was the most indignant, asking Harry "did Dumbledore's question to me seem like a threat to you? It sounded almost like a threat to me."

"Dunno, Ron."

I felt better and slept well. I told Brinda about my strange encounters.

Draco's father arrived at Hogwarts right after breakfast the following day and demanded as a Hogwarts trustee to be allowed to speak to his son, and to Harry and me. He had apparently told Dumbledore that he had received an alarming owl from his son and that he was worried about the safety of the three of us. At least that was my interpretation of the quick summary we were given when we were summoned to Dumbledore's office and found him meeting with Lucius Malfoy.

"Are you alright?" Lucius asked me, rather than Draco, in a very solicitous tone.

"Yes, I am. Since I know that the headmaster doesn't want me at Hogwarts or in contact with my twin, I was just very frightened when Headmaster Dumbledore got rid of Professor Trelawney. I had felt that, apart from Draco, Professor Trelawney was my only ally. I feel a little safer now."

"What about you Harry? Lucius Malfoy asked.

"I'm still worried that Headmaster Dumbledore will separate me from Emako. She is only here, really she only avoided being 'lost' in a Muggle-world, hell-hole orphanage, because Professor Trelawney rescued her. Professor Trelawney brought both of us to Hogwarts. Now she's gone and it seems fishy."

"Things have definitely been a bit strange around here," Draco told his father.

"Well, Albus, it seems your students are afraid of you. Do they have reason to be frightened of you. I know you are the absolute king of this place. Not the kindly image you like to present to our world, is it? I must agree with Harry and Emako, I can't remember twins ever being sorted, against their will, into different houses. You've been here longer than I can remember. Can you cite an instance of this every happening."

"No, this seems to be a unique situation. The Sorting Hat does what it thinks is best for each child."

"Except, the hat told Emako that it was forced to separate her from Harry. I'm very certain that both twins belong in Slytherin. You should think about that. I will be speaking with the other trustees. Have a good day. I can see that my son's concerns were very well founded."

"More so than you think," Draco hastened to inform him. "I barely got the note off to you. Professor Sprout came to the owl tower to stop me, but she was just barely too late."

"That was a misunderstanding," Dumbledore declared. "Professor Sprout regularly checks on the condition of the owls. It was coincidence that Draco happened to send his message right before her normal daily visit."

"I see. That's certainly one possible explanation. I'll let myself out."

After Lucius departed, Dumbledore requested a minute with just Harry and me. Draco seemed a little worried about me, but after a very brief pause he left Dumbledore's office.

"I wanted to let both of you know that Professor Trelawney's mother's has taken a turn for the better. She will return to Hogwarts two days from now. I also promise you that I am no threat to either of you. I fully accept that Emako belongs at Hogwarts and that Harry needs her. I made a mistake separating you. You are free to spend as much time together as you want. I won't object if you meet after hours, if that is necessary to get together.

"I think that you are both in real danger but not from me. I will teach you some defensive spells. Please stop by my office after dinner."

He smiled at us. It seemed a kindly enough smile. I couldn't possibly judge its sincerity.

We didn't get to meet with the headmaster. We had barely begun eating dinner, when Professor Quirrell ran into the Great Hall screaming: "a Troll! There's a Troll in the dungeons. You must help. It nearly killed me."

Dumbledore ordered all of the students back to our dorms. Draco had a protective arm around my shoulder as we left the table and exited the Great Hall. I just happened to look in Harry's direction and saw both Harry and Ron sneak away from the Gryffindors and race down the corridor in the opposite direction.

"Harry!" I screamed as loudly as I could. He slowed a little and almost turned toward me, but then turned back and sprinted down the corridor after Ron.

"I think Harry's in danger," I told Draco. "We have to help him."

Draco hesitated just long enough to recruit Goyle to come with us. Ron and Harry had a lead on us, so we had to run as fast as we could, just to keep them in sight. I just barely saw Harry turning into a room on our right.

"Girls' potty," Goyle announced. "Only Emako can go in."

"You're with us," Draco told Goyle, as he led me into the bathroom. Goyle did follow behind me.

The Troll was in the room and he was smashing the place up with a big club. Ron was hiding under a sink as the Troll smashed the sink next to his. Harry threw a piece of broken sink at the Troll and it left Ron to attack Harry.

I had to protect Harry. I stepped forward, to stand side-by-side with my twin. I picked up a broken sink piece and prepared to throw it, but I just froze as the Troll, did I mention that Trolls are really, really big, raised its club and looked ready to smash us.

"Throw at it!" Harry demanded as he threw a metal sink fixture at the Troll's face.

I just couldn't bring myself to throw the piece of granite I was holding. Harry took it from me and chucked it at the Troll. He hit it in the nose and it screamed at us. The club was starting to come down toward us!

"Troll, club, the whole works, including one of the sinks, were thrown back against the rear wall of the bathroom. The sink struck Mr. Troll in the knees and he went down, slamming his face into the floor.

Just then, one of the stall doors sprung open and Hermione snuck out and hid in back of us.

"Thank you, thank you, thank all of you," she said, barely louder than a whisper.

Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape entered the bathroom.

"You should be in your dorms," Dumbledore told us. "Trolls are VERY dangerous creatures."

"Slytherins and Gryffindors fighting a Troll together," Professor McGonagall seemed stunned. "I've never seen such a thing."

"Back to your dorms," Professor Snape commanded us.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve – Our Headmaster Is Really Odd**

"Not growing up in the magical world, you may not realize this, but a Troll could not possibly just wander onto the Hogwarts grounds, let alone stroll into the castle. There are far too many magical protections for that," Draco told me, in tone which caused me to fear he was talking down to me.

"I did read 'Hogwarts, a History' – I'm not totally clueless," I bristled. "Are you saying that somebody deliberately brought the Troll into the castle? That thing was fierce. You couldn't just put a leash on it and walk into the castle."

"That's exactly what I'm saying. Likely it was stunned and levitated into the castle. No danger to the perpetrator who was well away when Mr. Troll revived and went nuts in a strange environment. The Troll was as frightened as we were. They avoid groups of us, they avoid any place where there is enough light to see them well. And I was not speaking down to you, nor do I think you are clueless. You can't learn in several months what I've learned in eleven years. Nobody can. That's why Muggle-born Witches and Wizards initially seem out of place here. It takes time to catch up. I'd be totally lost in the world you came from."

The next morning at breakfast, an owl arrived with a message for me. "Be in my office five minutes after I leave the head table after breakfast. You are excused from your classes. Bring Draco with you. – D"

I showed the note to Draco.

"Why?" Draco asked.

"Perhaps he wants to thank us for saving the Gryffindors from the Troll?"

"Then why not Goyle? He also joined in the rescue. Really he and I stood there while you did your thing."

"Let's not tell him that, although he's probably guessed it. Do you think this meeting might be about the owl you sent to your father?"

"Why would he want you there for that, unless he thinks including you will embarrass me. It won't. Dumbledore is behaving even odder than usual. The older Slytherins tell me things."

"I think he is now sorry that he put me in Slytherin."

"He's getting old. His planning ability and skills aren't as sharp as they once were. Being able to react well to surprises is the first thing that goes. My father taught me that. Always analyze an opponent's weakness. Check for the standard weaknesses. This has been a very odd year – both Snape and Dumbledore acting strange and Trelawney gone and now she just walked to the head table."

I saw her and waved. She sat for a moment and then timidly waved back at me.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were seated in front of Dumbledore's desk when Draco and I entered.

"I want to discuss the matter of the Troll and how the five of you happened to share the girls' bathroom with it. Is there anything which any of you wish to tell me?"

"Ron and I knew Hermione was in the bathroom and didn't know about the Troll. We went to warn her to return to Gryffindor, but we saw the Troll go into the bathroom." Harry admitted.

"I saw Harry and Ron leave the Gryffindor line and followed to protect them. They have no magical fighting skills," I told Dumbledore. "Draco came to help. So did Goyle."

"Why didn't you invite Goyle?" Draco challenged Dumbledore.

"I doubted he could possibly offer anything of value. He seems loyal to you, but very dense." He didn't smile at all as he said that. "Do you really want Goyle here? The five of you violated school rules, either by not being in the Great Hall for dinner or by ignoring my clear order to return to your dorms. Do you wish Goyle to share in your punishment, when we both know he had no choice but to follow you, when you asked him to. I know your father pays him."

"Oh. I expected that, but wasn't sure. I can take care of myself."

"No, you can't take care of yourself. None of you can. You haven't learned the basic rudimentary magic required for self-defense. Emako is sometimes protected by her wild magic, which is very powerful, but not exactly under her control. The other reason I invited the five of you to my office is to suggest that I should teach you basic defensive spells. I believe you will all need them long before Professor Quirrell gets around to teaching them to you. My office after dinner tomorrow night. Tonight you will be helping Hagrid watch the Unicorns in the Forbidden Forest. Someone or something has been killing them."

"Actually," Draco declared defiantly, "I can defend myself. Father hired a tutor. The Minister gave special permission for me to practice magic. Because of father's wealth, I was considered at risk of kidnapping. I've had a wand since I was nine. I can do 'expelliarmus', 'incendio', two meteorological charms, and even the 'Avada', although father said to NEVER use that last one, unless my only alternative is to be killed or captured by a kidnapper."

"I am shocked that Fudge and your father would dare to go so far."

"How far would you go if you had an only child and he was in constant danger?"

Dumbledore waved us away. He was shaking his head in bewilderment. As we reached the door, he stopped us with an odd remark.

"One last thing, two nights ago somebody attempted to penetrate the defenses of the forbidden corridor on the third floor. Do any of you know anything about that? Ahh, good. I assure you, the prize is not worth the almost certainty that you would die trying to reach it."

As we walked away from the office, Draco told us "see, I told you the old coot was dotty. That last comment just encourages me to visit the forbidden corridor. It's like I've just been challenged."

"No! That would be wrong and very, very foolish. Would you really risk your life just because you think Dumbledore challenged you?" Hermione's mood had quickly turned from indignation to incredulity.

"Are you so unadventurous that a challenge like that doesn't excite you?" Draco seemed genuinely surprised by Hermione's reaction.

That night, I was feeling less brave as we prepared to enter the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid and his giant dog, Fang. The full moon shed a fair amount of light through a cloudless sky, but that just cast scary shadows as the tree branches swayed in the breeze.

"Wotcha waiting for?" Hagrid asked, as he held his torch above his head and led us into the forest. Apparently girls didn't rate torches, as only Harry, Ron, and Draco were given torches.

"We're looking for Unicorn blood," Hagrid informed us. "It's silver and it will glow in the torch light."

Somehow those instructions actually calmed me. I had to focus upon the ground, both to spot the Unicorn blood and to avoid tripping over a tree root. Not seeing the changing shadows thrown by the tree branches removed my most immediate source of fear.

We walked and walked, but spotted no blood. We were following a narrow trail and eventually came to a fork in the path.

"Draco and Emako go left, the rest of you follow me."

Draco's voice revealed his fear "that's not fair, four of you and dog, but just Emako and me to face whatever. Did Dumbledore tell you to make sure the Slytherins don't come back?"

"Alright, if you're scared, you can take Harry and Fang. I reckon the three of us will be fine."

"I'm not afraid, but fair's fair."

"It's okay to be afraid. I'm afraid," Harry told Draco.

"So am I," I told Draco and then made a huge mistake. "You know magical spells. I feel safe with you. But, if you knew those spells, why didn't you use them on the Troll, when it was about to pound me?"

I knew instantly that I shouldn't have asked that question in front of Harry. That realization was pounded home as Draco sheepishly admitted "I froze up, okay. Then I was going to use the 'Avada Kedavra', but I was afraid I'd be sent to Azkaban, even for using it on a Troll."

I didn't know what to reply, beyond a feeble "I also froze. I can't control my magic," when Harry rescued me.

"I see blood."

He pointed to glittering spots on the right side of the path.

The Unicorn must be badly wounded. We followed the blood path for several hundred yards. The blood was wet. I knew it couldn't be more than a couple hours old. We passed a left turning in the path and instantly saw it.

In a small clearing, right ahead of us, a dark hooded being bent over what must be the carcass of a freshly-killed Unicorn. I didn't know what to do. Then I screamed "Hagrid! We found it!"

"Expelliarmus! Incendio! Avada…" I forced Draco's wand hand down and he stopped in mid-curse.

I saw that the hooded figure had burst into flame. The flames vanished as quickly as they had appeared. By the time my eyes readjusted to the absence of their light, the figure was gone. An instant later Hagrid, Ron, and Hermione came pounding up behind us.

Hagrid led us carefully toward the fallen Unicorn, scanning the trees on the far side of the clearing.

"Unicorns are beautiful harmless creatures. Who would do such a terrible thing?" Hagrid asked the Gods of the forest.

"Why would someone do such a thing?" Ron asked.

"Unicorns are very rare," Hermione told him. "Their hair is used in wands and their horns are prized for medicinal potions. Most of the potions don't even work. This is horrible."

"It's the blood," Hagrid sadly told us. "Drinking their blood can hold off death for at least a week. Some of the dying at St. Mungo's beg for Unicorn blood."

I couldn't sleep at all that night. Foolishly I just lay in bed thinking of how frightened I had been, how badly I had insulted Draco in front of Harry, and the pitiful sight of the beautiful dead Unicorn. Every time I close my eyes I had seen either the Unicorn or the hooded figure launching a deadly green curse at me. If Draco hadn't set it afire, I might be dead.

At breakfast, Draco looked every bit as wasted as I felt. "You couldn't sleep either?"

"No."

"You didn't! You went exploring in the forbidden corridor."

"Couldn't let Harry accept the challenge before I did. Barely made it out alive, though – giant three-headed dog. One of the heads nearly got me. It's breath was bad enough to kill. I just made it out the door in time, tripped over Goyle."

Now I felt really bad. If I hadn't said what I said about Draco freezing up with the Troll, he probably wouldn't have taken such a crazy risk. It would have been my fault if the dog had killed him.

I looked forward with dread to our evening spell-training session with Dumbledore. My mind was only half on what the professors were saying. I was almost caught by Professor Snape, but recovered enough that he decided he didn't need to call out Slytherin me.

After dinner, Professor Snape cornered Dumbledore, just as he was leaving the head table to meet us at his office. We used the time to share what we had learned. Harry was very excited to learn about the three-headed dog on the third floor. He told Draco that the news was particularly relevant because he had seen Filch tending to one of Snape's legs, which looked like it had been mangled by a large animal.

"If you were hurt, would you run to Filch or to Madam Pomphrey," Harry reasonably asked us.

"Madam Pomphrey, unless I had a secret I couldn't risk having her reveal to Dumbledore," Hermione answered.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen – Why Are We Learning These Things**

Dumbledore got right to work instructing us, although he worked with me on my 'wild magic' before he practiced spells with all of us. I was surprised when he took ten minutes to practice Draco's semi-wild 'incendio'. He had Draco try the curse without a wand. It was just as powerful without as with a wand.

"Normally, wand training would dampen down your natural magic. That is a good thing. You can cause a lot of unintended damage with outbursts of wild magic. The goal at Hogwarts is normally to have your logical mind, rather than your raw emotion in control of your magical talents. The wand responds more to the logical mind than to your emotional self.

"In Emako's case, we must follow a different approach. I sense that the five of you are surrounded by great danger and must be able to protect yourself. It would be a shame to discard such a powerful weapon as Emako's natural magic. Instead, I will train you to control it. To do so, you must draw magic from two different places. When you work with your wand, you must think of the command for magic from your brain to cause magic to flow out of your arm and into your wand. You are used to controlling the muscles of your arm and hand to do fine work, such as sewing, so it is a direct extension to do fine magic like charms and transfiguration. You will use the same approach on the spells I teach you and the others. I suggest that you spend extra time practicing transfiguration and thinking of the magic being controlled through your arm and hand. Such magic also involves careful pronunciation, involving many muscles of your mouth.

"Now, your pushback magic. We have a spell which does this, but I won't tell you and don't want you to look up its name or how to perform it. To do so will focus you upon fine control and reduce the power of your magic. We'll think of this magic as arising in your chest, straight from the heart. Think of your emotion pouring raw power into your chest, until it cannot be contained any longer and rushes out through your arm and wand. Don't think of any muscles below your shoulder muscles, just point your wand without flicking or flourishing it and imagine all that power being cut loose."

"I think I can do that," I promised Dumbledore. I saw what he meant about the muscles of the lower arm and hand. Everything we had learned thus far in class involved very precise flicks and flourishes of the wand, as well as precisely mouthing the words.

"What about me and wild magic?" Draco asked Dumbledore.

"I don't know. You seem as good with the wand as without on that one, but it never hurts to have something in reserve if your wand is taken. Now for your wand lesson," Dumbledore addressed all five of us.

He wanted all of us to learn 'expelliarmus' and 'incendio'. Dumbledore had great insight into the little errors we made while attempting these spells. The individualized instruction helped and he kept us at it for nearly three hours. Each of us was at least barely able to perform both spells by the time we finished. Hermione was quite good at both. Draco who came into the room able to perform both of these spells, left as a master of each of them.

"Before you go," Dumbledore stopped us. "I'll see you a week from today for further practice. After tomorrow's Quidditch match, and I'm sure all of you will want to watch Harry's first match, I want the five of you to stop by Hagrid's hut. Your safety may well depend upon your mobility and Hagrid has found a ride for each of you."

"Emako, practice the pushback on your own. For now, don't use your wand. Just point with your whole arm, with your hand in a tight fist. I'm not sure whether just pointing with your arm or throwing an overhand punch with it will work best. Try both. Practice on objects, not people. We'll work on it together in a week."

As we walked back toward Slytherin, Draco surprised me with the suggestion "I'll practice wild magic with you. I don't know how Dumbledore knew, but my wild magic has always involved fire. Strange that our headmaster is giving us so much attention, don't you think?"

I did think. I thought entirely too much. My mood was rapidly souring. What Draco said about Dumbledore was true. The powerful Wizard who had tried to banish infant me to the most anonymous, awful orphanage he could find, the Wizard who was determined to keep me out of Hogwarts, the Wizard who thought he had safely parked me in Slytherin – that Wizard was now taking charge of my training. Yes, I have strong wild magical powers, but why was my training to be so different from that of my four friends?

"Am I wrong to think of Dumbledore as my mortal enemy?" I asked Draco.

"Not wrong, but perhaps a touch simplistic. Dumbledore is a very complicated Wizard. Father calls him 'the grand enemy chess master' and says he is always running schemes within schemes."

As we entered the Slytherin common room, Draco and I headed to our favorite spot: the soft black leather sofa hidden away in the darkest corner of the room. Draco sat in the corner and I lay down with my head in his lap. Normally I enjoyed his stroking my hair, shoulders, and the side of my neck. Usually, this could calm down any tension I was feeling. Today it wasn't working. For a few minutes, Draco pretended not to notice, then he looked me in the eyes with a worried look.

"Are you angry with me? What did I say?"

"You didn't say anything. I was thinking about Dumbledore and our date to watch Slytherin play Gryffindor. That can't possibly go well. It has to be awful."

"Because you have divided loyalties."

"Because watching my brother play for Gryffindor just makes me realize how much I don't belong here and how much the other Slytherins hate me for being Muggle-born and now the sister of the enemy Seeker. Do you realize how awful it will be if Gryffindor wins? It's more than that. I'm afraid Harry is going to be hurt. Is it really possible that he's a good flyer? He is the only first-year on a team. He first learned that Quidditch exists on the Hogwarts Express. He never touched a broom, until the exact same time that I did. I can't fly a lick. Even if he can fly, he's so small and you know how big our players are. 'The boy who lived' – how many of the players I eat with every day are determined that Harry not live beyond this day?

"I've heard the whispers as I come into the common room. How can I possibly root for Slytherin? I don't give a damn about Quidditch. I won't cheer for Harry to win. I just want him to survive. Really, I just hate how selfish he is being. He doesn't need Quidditch. He's already famous and for something he doesn't even remember. He just isn't thinking of my feelings at all. I'm going to suffer for this. I'm going to suffer a lot."

"I also will just root for nobody getting hurt. I'm a little jealous of Harry. I know how he feels. I'm a Malfoy. Just being a Malfoy gives me a lot of weight in Slytherin. It's not like I've done anything to deserve it. When you have fame and power just because of your parents… you can't imagine how empty that makes you feel. I want to be famous and popular for what I do. Most days I hate my father. He treats mother like crap. I never meet his expectations. It's tough. I'll tell you about my childhood some other time, but just consider this: how many fathers do you suppose use the Cruciatus Curse on their own ten-year-old sons? Mine did."

"That's horrible! I'm surprised that hasn't terribly warped you. You can't just leave it like that. You have to tell me more."

"No, now's not the time. We both need to be wearing our happy faces at today's match."

"So we're going to try to appear happy as we suffer our way through today's match?"

"Appearances are important. Be brave – I know how brave you can be."

Draco chose a relatively empty area in the Slytherin section of the stands. I leaned up against him, while Crabbe and Goyle kept a respectful distance on his other side.

I marveled as Harry soared around the pitch on his broom.

"It's strange that Harry has flown so well from day one. Neither of us touched a broom until that first flying lesson with Madam Hooch. The broom doesn't have a rocket on the end or any other power source. Harry has to be supplying the magic to make that broom fly. I can't fly at all. I've barely gotten off the ground in class. How can Harry be so good?" I asked Draco plaintively.

"You think like a Muggle, Harry doesn't think like a Muggle about flying a broom. If you expect to be able to fly a broom and see it as normal, like magical people do, then you can fly. You've read too many Muggle books and over-thought this. Your Muggle physics doesn't apply here. Flying is magical. The rules of magic are what govern it. When you believe you are able to fly, you will fly."

"But Harry is the only first-year on a Quidditch team. Others first-years have flown brooms half their lives. They don't even think of it as prohibited magic. I know Ron is really jealous of Harry."

"Of course under-age broom flying isn't against the rules. It's not that kind of magic. It's not dangerous. Everybody can ride a broom. I'll teach you. I think Madam Hooch intimidates you. Very stern Witches can have that effect.

"Your twin is on the Gryffindor team, because the Gryffindor team stinks and had no other choice. And McGonagall thought I was taking advantage of Neville and Harry and is having her fun with me."

I perked up as I saw Harry swoop down to chase the snitch. I guess I made an excited gesture, because as I did so as a Slytherin seated right behind me shouted 'that's the way Finch, murder Potter', when what struck me as a sneaky play by Marcus Finch almost sent my twin plummeting to his death. Draco put his hand on my arm, which was all that prevented me from turning around and practicing my pushback on the offending girl.

"Ignoring me, Potter?" She almost whispered in my ear. I turned around to spy a smirking Pansy Parkinson.

"Did you say something?" I asked her sweetly.

"I really wouldn't advise saying anything else," Draco hissed at Pansy.

I turned around to watch the rest of the match and found Harry doing his best to keep his broom from shaking him free.

"Somebody has interfered with Harry's broom," Draco told me.

"Harry is it?" Pansy mocked him, then shouted to one and all "Draco is concerned for Harry Potter! He's his new best buddy. Can you imagine that, Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter."

"Just shut it," Draco warned her.

Pansy dared Draco: "Or what? What are…" as Goyle and Crabbe each grabbed her under a shoulder and carried her away.

I heard a general intake of breath from those around me.

When I looked back toward the pitch, Harry was hanging from his broom and attempting to remount it, but at least the broom seemed to be behaving.

When Harry remounted his broom, I was surprised to feel how tense and sweated-up I had become. The game continued. Harry caught the Snitch. Gryffindor won. I didn't care. My twin hadn't died today. In the depths of my heart, I had been certain that he would die.

I felt Draco nudge my arm. "Let's get out of here, before half of Slytherin wants to know why Goyle and Crabbe carried Pansy away from us."

"Straight to Hagrid's hut?" I asked. "We can wait there in peace."

"Yes! We can even have a good snog. I'm not up for answering the questions of my fellow house members just now."

We encountered Crabbe and Goyle as we left the stands. "Thanks guys. I'll see you later. I have some private boyfriend stuff to do."

I saw him give Goyle a wink as he said that and wondered just what sort of boyfriend stuff Draco had in mind.

It was too wet to lie on the ground outside Hagrid's hut and we hadn't even brought a blanket, although a lot of fans routinely carried a blanket to Quidditch matches. We just leaned up against a tree trunk, and snogged. Draco's hands didn't leave my waist and hips. All was good.

"Why did your father use the Cruciatus on you?" I asked as we took a break from snogging.

"We were playing one-on-one Quidditch and I was getting tired. I fell of my broom twice. Each time, father insisted that I re-mount and continue our battle – that's what he called it, our battle. I didn't really fall off the first time. He pushed me. We were twenty feet in the air, although we were above the swimming pool. I finally told him: "enough! We can pick this up tomorrow."

"That's when he cursed me. He told me that Malfoy men aren't quitters and they certainly aren't cowards and that as my father it was his duty to toughen me up. There was a reason other Wizards looked up to him. He accepted slights from nobody. Then he released his curse and my wild magic burst out. One second he was berating me and the next he was fully aflame and jumping into the pool. I expected another Cruciatus when he hauled himself out of the pool, but he just looked at me and said: 'finally!' and stomped back to the house. So that's as much of my childhood story as you get today. You were the one who was so troubled earlier. You should be the one talking."

"Ever since I've been at Hogwarts, except in Slytherin – really I'm talking about the professors, the whole matter of whether I belong here, whether I'm really Harry's twin, whether I'm real – it has all come down to how much everyone thinks I look like or don't look like my mother. I never knew my mother. There were no pictures of her at the Dursleys. I have no idea what she looked like, so when I look in the mirror, I have no idea whether or not I look like my parents. I know that, except for the eyes, I don't look a lot like Harry. He's dark, I'm ginger. Our skin is different. There are days when I feel like an imposter. Harry showed me a picture of my father in a trophy case on the second floor. I've explored a lot of trophy cases, but I haven't found a picture of my mother. Don't you find that odd?"

"Hogwarts celebrates Quidditch. Your mother didn't play Quidditch. Try the library, there might be pictures of former graduating classes."

"That's a brilliant idea, I'll…." I saw Harry and the others walking up to us.

"You play Quidditch like a complete fool who hopes to die," I accused Harry. "If you don't want to live, at least have a concern about how I would feel watching you fall to your death."

"Sorry," Harry replied insincerely, a confused look upon his face. "Is Hagrid back yet."

"We didn't check," Draco replied, earning three confused looks from the Gryffindors.

"Snape tried to kill Harry!" suddenly burst from Hermionie's lips. As Hagrid walked up to us, she the repeated the accusation for his benefit.

"I saw him focusing on Harry, without ever blinking, and all the time mumbling a complex curse I didn't recognize. The more he mumbled, the more Harry's broom tried to throw him off. I lit Snape's robes on fire. As soon as he broke eye contact, the broom behaved properly."

"That's nonsense, Professor Snape would never harm Harry."

"It's true!" Hermione blustered. "Tell him Harry! Tell him about Snape being bitten by the three-headed dog."

"Well," Harry started to explain, "Snape did have a nasty gash on his leg and he went to Filch to bandage it. I think he tried to steal the package the dog is protecting, the one you brought back from Gringotts."

"Nonsense. Professor Snape is helping Dumbledore guard the package. All the professors are helping. Don't think of the package. That's between Dumbledore and the Flamels. Forget I said that, I have something more important to show you. Around back, just inside the forest."

We followed Hagrid into the forest. In a clearing was a split-log fence and inside the fence were five very large, very fierce-looking, bird-like THINGS.

"WHAT are they?" Ron asked. "WHY are you showing them to us."

"You're going to ride them, of course. They're Hippogriffs and they're very friendly once you get to know them properly. Today is just introductions. Next week you ride them."

Great! Just great.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen – The Mirror of Erised**

Draco and I made the mistake of practicing in the Slytherin common room after we returned from Hagrid. Draco magically lit a fire in the fireplace. We each did a very successful 'expelliarmus', disarming each other, despite the victim holding their wand in a death grip. I lit the Daily Prophet afire, destroying an article about Muggle-borns, which I found offensive. This all went well, but then Draco wanted me to practice the pushback. He sat upon our personal black sofa and instructed me to stand behind it and do my worst.

I found that the pretend punch worked very well for me. Dumbledore hadn't suggested it, but I discovered that thinking about something that really angered me, in point of fact actually thinking about how Dumbledore had treated me, increased the power of my pushback. I had thrown our favorite leather sofa into the middle of the common room. Draco had been very impressed. As we were carrying the sofa back to 'our' place, Pansy flounced down the stairs from the girls dorms.

"Some of us are trying to sleep. Is it too much to ask the great Draco Malfoy and his Mudblood whore to allow the rest of us to sleep?"

"I'm sorry, I admit we were too loud," I told her. "That is my apology for the first part of your complaint.

"As for the Mudblood whore part…" I threw a long distance punch at her and she flew six stairs up, landing on her butt. "… don't ever use that sort of language about me again, or about anyone else in my presence, or you could find yourself doing a lot of broomless flight."

"I suppose that's enough practice," Draco told me as we moved to lie down upon the sofa for a quick snog before bed.

Dumbledore was very prompt for our next tutorial, so we didn't have a chance to chat among ourselves before entering his office. I had wanted to tell Harry how well I had done using Dumbledore's suggestions to channel my wild-magic. I also wanted to learn how many of us were staying at Hogwarts for the Christmas vacation, which would start in a week.

We did a review and further practice on the curses we had been following and then moved on to 'petrificus totalus'. "This can be your go-to defensive spell," Dumbledore told us. "It's legal, your opponent can be totally incapacitated, and you are highly unlikely to cause any permanent harm. Now practice on each other."

We did practice. I was dropped a half dozen times during the course of this exercise. It might not cause permanent damage to be petrificused, but with the stone floor of Dumbledore's office, it certainly piled up the scrapes and bruises to make totally unprotected falls to the floor. I knew my body would be in pain for a week.

"How many of you are staying at Hogwarts over the holiday?" Dumbledore asked. All but Draco and Hermione said we would stay.

"Very good," Dumbledore told us. "What I am teaching you can protect you while you are awake, but I am concerned that you could be murdered in your sleep. I am particularly concerned with the repeated clashes between Emako and Pansy Parkinson. I will help you apply additional charms to your four-posters, which will greatly reduce the risk of a nocturnal attack. Please remain behind, Miss Potter. I want to see how well you are progressing on your pushback."

I demonstrated my progress, moving Dumbledore's desk back against the wall.

"Very good, I thought the punching technique might appeal to you. You tend to be a bit more prone to violence than your twin. I've spoken to Professor McGonagall about your training. As I warned you, continuing to practice wandless magic won't benefit your progress in transfiguration. Professor McGonagall tells me that she is satisfied that your work is acceptable – barely acceptable, but acceptable. She was relieved to learn the source of your difficulties. Keep practicing with her. Training in both wild and highly controlled magic, of which transfiguration requires the finest control, can be very difficult, but you have shown that you can handle it. Do try to stay alive until we can finish charming your bed. It does no good to antagonize Pansy. She is very jealous of Draco's attention to you."

I waited for him to say something else, but he didn't. I realized that I was excused. Draco was waiting beside the gargoyle.

I awoke on Christmas morning feeling cheered by the absence of Pansy and Millicent. The twins were also remaining at Hogwarts. With just the three of us, the twins were positively bubbly.

"Shall we go downstairs and see if we have presents?" Brinda suggested.

I didn't expect presents, but I actually had several. Brinda and her twin each had a dozen. As I unwrapped my presents, I was overcome, almost to the point of tears, by the sense of separation from Harry. Unwrapping Christmas presents was something which twins by right must do together. I smiled at the pull-over sweater from Mrs. Weasley and a silver locket with a picture of Harry. The latter of course was from Harry. I had a very-advanced new broom. This was from Draco and it came with a long note, written in beautiful blue and red letters on a rolled piece of parchment, sealed with both a red wax seal bearing the mark of Draco's personal signet ring as well as a red ribbon, tied in an elaborate bow.

The note was across the border-line toward outright romantic at spots, but mainly promised his help in training me to use my new broom. 'Witches should fly', Draco asserted. Anyone with as much native magic as myself 'should soar like a graceful bird amidst the highest clouds', my boyfriend declared. The note was signed 'love, Draco'.

I would miss Draco for the holidays. I know he had wanted to invite me to share Christmas with him at Malfoy Manor, but feared that his father would regard such an invitation as too quick. "Father doesn't approve of the Muggle-born coming into his world," Draco admitted, "but he seems to take a surprisingly open view where you are concerned, which I see as encouraging."

As much as I liked Draco, I realized that I held back owing to a fear that his father would pry us apart and I would be broken-hearted. I could not permit myself to love Draco until I had a better understanding of the extent of his father's control over him and his father's true thoughts about myself.

I must have been frowning, as Brinda shook my shoulder, demanding "be of good cheer, it IS Christmas and your boyfriend got a terrific gift for you. You look like you are inches from tears."

"I fear Draco's father," I spoke barely above a whisper.

"Breakfast!" Melissa prompted me and her twin. "Seeing Harry will cheer you up. You'll see Draco again soon enough. You should send him an owl to thank him for the broom and especially for that nice note. Be sure to mention that you miss him."

Harry and Ron, Fred, and George were in high spirits. Percy was a little less Percy than he had seemed on my few prior meetings with him. All of us, except Percy, wore our Weasley sweaters. The professors were all gaily attired for our Christmas breakfast, which was really a normal breakfast with added gingerbread cookies in the shapes of magical creatures. I enjoyed the gingerbread. I had only ever been able to sneak a quick bite of it at the Dursleys. I deliberately spoiled one cookie a year and placed the misshapen bits on the cookie sheet to bake. Since these weren't fit to be consumed by a 'true Dursley', Harry and I each had half a cookie every Christmas. It was a treat, even though the irregular shapes of our scraps led to uneven baking and at least one burnt edge.

Harry drew me aside after breakfast to tell me about his strange gift of the invisibility cloak. He showed me the even stranger note. "It's from Dumbledore," I told him with absolute certainty.

"You can't possibly be as certain of that as you pretend," Harry admonished me.

"Of course I can. Anyone but Dumbledore would at least include 'and be sure to share this treasure with your twin'. Not Dumbledore, he has never accepted me as truly being your twin. Really, the cloak belonged to our father, not your father. How hard would it be for Dumbledore to just admit that obvious fact. I can't shake the thought that he is still somehow going to make me disappear."

"He wouldn't. I won't allow it. I know he was mean to you early on, but I think he has changed. I'd kill him if he did anything to harm you."

I glanced up to see Dumbledore staring at us, as if he had heard every word we said to each other.

We rejoined the others. All of us, including the Marcon twins, went outdoors to play in the fluffy, newly-fallen snow. If was the sort of very dry snow, which is totally unsatisfactory for making snowballs. I made one and tossed it at Harry, but it fell apart in midflight. I knew the trick – you had to hold the snowball in your bare hands, providing enough of your own warmth to barely melt the outer snow so the ball would stick together. My poor hands could only stand to make one true snow ball and I just knew it had Ron's name on it. There was just something about his attitude which demanded a snowball in the face. My aim was true.

That was the signal to escape the cold and move indoors. I was caught by surprise when Harry invited me and the twins to join the rest of the group in the Gryffindor common room. It was a lot less plush than its Slytherin equivalent, but it was comfortable and homey and the roaring fire was just what I needed.

"What shall we do?" I asked the group. "We've got a whole week and I don't feel like studying."

"I'd like to make a map of this place – check out all the rooms and every nook and cranny," Harry suggested.

"A map is a very useful thing to have," Fred told us with a knowing air. "You do it. I don't think it would be of much use to George and me – superior upper-level knowledge."

"We know the main floor reasonably well. We should focus on the other floors." I told the group.

We agreed to split into two teams: one for the dungeons and the other for the second and third floors. The dungeon team would take the turrets. I wanted to team with Harry, but was certain that Ron would object. He surprised me by saying he would work with the Marcon twins. This surprised me, because I thought he fancied Hermione. They fought a lot, but the attraction seemed obvious.

We stuck with the mapping project. I enjoyed the opportunity to chat with Harry. I was happy that he was fitting into Gryffindor so well. I told him that apart from Draco and the twins, I felt alone in Slytherin. I was surprised by how greatly Harry detested Professor Snape. He said he felt he had more reason to mistrust Snape than I had to continue to distrust Dumbledore – afterall, Dumbledore was tutoring me. My suggestion that this might be intended to give Dumbledore more opportunity to spy upon and manipulate me was brushed aside by Harry. Dumbledore was admittedly odd and fixed upon his own course, but he was basically kindly and trustworthy – yes, Harry could not deny that Dumbledore had tried to separate us and consign me to a cruel fate, but that was a mistake which Dumbledore now repented. Didn't his guilt about this bad behavior explain his willingness to help me now?

"But I still sit in Slytherin. I'm surviving for now, but I have a sense that my situation could turn truly nasty with one bad word from Draco's father."

"Snape will protect you."

"How can you be so certain that Snape is both a horrible conspirator, but can be relied upon to protect me?"

"I just know. I can sense these things. You didn't see his leg where the dog bit him."

"What's that?"

We were mapping a stretch of a half-dozen abandoned classrooms. Our mapping project had convinced me that Hogwarts once had far more students than it did today. I made a mental note to find out why. Had Harry and I excitedly joined the sinking flagship of a dying magical world?

"It's a mirror," I told Harry as I used the hem of my robes to wipe away the dust.

I saw myself and Harry, at our present ages, sitting with a young adult red-headed Witch and a roughly same-aged, dark-haired Wizard. With no firmer evidence than that, I confidently told Harry: "I see us, sitting with our parents. It is a relief to see what our mother looks like. I think I really do resemble her greatly. It's awful to say, but it makes me feel real. Dumbledore had me worried that I was an imposter, who couldn't possibly be your sister. He seemed to believe it so strongly. Just like he alone believed strongly that Voldemort lives. That is the other thing that really scares me. Now I'm convinced that Voldemort does live and killed the Unicorn. So... could Dumbledore be right and I actually am an imposter?"

"It scares me too. I don't see either of us, but I do see our parents and what must be other relatives looking back at me. What can this mean? Why didn't you and I see the same thing. And don't say it means you're not real. I always knew you were real."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen – The Importance of Ancient Arts**

Harry told me that he thought we had done enough mapping and should use his new – yes, he definitely says his – invisibility cloak to visit the restricted section of the library. I agreed that a change of pace sounded like fun and would happily search the library tomorrow.

Breakfast changed those plans. Harry received an owl from Hermione. I thought it significant that she sent the owl to Harry, rather than Ron. The note was brief and to the point:

"I found Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel. They are alchemists who created or owned the Philosopher's Stone. It can turn lead into silver or gold and fruit juices into an Elixer of Life, which prolongs life indefinitely. They are over 600 years old and rumored still alive. I'm bringing books back with me. Dumbledore is hiding the Philosopher's Stone and I'll bet Voldemort is after it."

By the last day of the holiday, we had the whole castle mapped on five large strips of parchment. We even knew all of the possible stopping points of each of the wandering staircases. We were all very proud – the Marcon twins had joined our effort, really not much else to do on break – as we spread our work out on pushed-together tables in the Gryffindor common room.

"That is fantastic," Fred informed us. "Now if you just glue the five pieces of parchment together, fold it up just right, and apply about a dozen charms – all of which are too difficult for your little minds to understand – why, you might end up with something very much like this."

Fred unfolded a thoroughly aged section of wide parchment on top of our maps. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," Fred intoned as if these were sacred words. He tapped the parchment with his wand and writing began to form. Within a minute, a map of the entire castle emerged, complete with little moving figures.

"There's Dumbledore, up on the third floor, approaching the forbidden corridor. Yes, a little more work and you can produce a beauty like this."

"You let us work all holiday, without telling us you already had a better map," Ron complained.

"Mischief Managed. First, I assumed you wanted a map that you would be allowed to use. Second, I knew you didn't want to study and had nothing better to do. You'll inherit this when George and I graduate. You are too young and inexperienced to be trusted with this map now. It is the secret to our fame and the reason we've been able to spend the whole holiday in Hogsmeade. Watch and learn little brother."

"That was… nice," Ron grumbled as he stomped up the stairs to his dorm room.

Hermione and Draco were due to return the next day. Harry was sitting next to me at the dinner table. The twins and I had moved over to the Gryffindor table for the holidays. I could tell that Harry was desperate to tell me something, but felt too awkward to actually say it.

"You're about to explode if you keep choking it in. What do you want to tell me."

"I know Draco is your boyfriend and that it is none of my business, but he is a Slytherin – you're just an accidental Slytherin – and his father at least appeared to be a Death Eater, so…"

"So…"

"So as a favor to me, could you not mention to Draco that we know that the Philosopher's Stone is what Dumbledore is protecting. Dumbledore is afraid that if you tell Draco, that the information will flow back to Lucius Malfoy and then to Voldemort."

"Dumbledore!" I had spoken so loudly that Dumbledore stared at me from the head table. After a moment he smiled and returned to his food.

"I'm not an accidental Slytherin. I am there on purpose – Dumbledore's purpose. If, as you, Ron, and Hermione think is quite clearly the case that Professor Snape has already tried to steal the Stone for Voldemort, then clearly Voldemort already knows about the Philosopher's Stone. Snape would hardly keep it a secret from him, if he's trying to steal it for him, would he."

Harry looked embarrassed. "No, of course Voldemort has to already know about the Stone. That's the only thing that makes sense. Then why…?"

"I don't know, Harry. Dumbledore had his own reasons for telling you that, just as he had his own reasons for not wanting me at the Dursleys, then not wanting me at Hogwarts, then not wanting me in Gryffindor. He knows that, without me, he can guide you to follow whatever his plan is. We just saw how my raising a logical point bumped you out of the groove Dumbledore had you tracking along. You would do better to figure out what Dumbledore really wants you to do and why he wants you to do it."

"I see what you mean, but I trust Dumbledore. He has helped me. I wouldn't be on the Quidditch team if he had objected."

"Very true and another sign of the danger I am in as a roadblock against Dumbledore's strategy. I love you Harry. You're my twin. I desperately want to protect you, but…"

"But?"

"But, I can't shake the feeling that Dumbledore is somehow going to make me disappear, and sooner rather than later. He tried to banish me. He tried to leave me behind with the Dursleys. I fear he thinks he has no choice but to kill me this time."

"He wouldn't do that. Yes, he has plotted against you, but I can't believe he'd do anything to cause a student's death."

"Let's hope not, but I think he is pursuing a goal which means so much to him that he has no problem writing off my life as insignificant compared to his plan. You must admit he's acted against me before, more than once."

Harry lapsed into a worried silence.

I saw him sneak a few looks at Dumbledore. His face did not wear a happy look.

I told Harry "I promise not to tell Draco about the Philosopher's Stone, at least not right away. I'll have to tell him soon. He is my boyfriend and I have to either trust him or dump him. If I dump him, I'm a lonely, unprotected refugee in Slytherin. I probably won't survive the term. I will wait to see if the same Draco returns from break. His father will have had plenty of time to work on Draco, if he really is still a Death Eater. You'll just have to trust my judgment about Draco."

"Okay, fair enough. Of course I trust you." Harry seemed greatly relieved as we left the Great Hall.

I feared that Harry would report back to Dumbledore and Dumbledore would realize that he had only a few days to make me disappear.

I made sure that I saw Draco as soon as he entered the Hogwarts grounds. I waited for an hour at the gate. "How did you get on with your father," I asked him as soon as he came through the gate.

"Snogs first!" Draco declared as he threw his arms around me and practically licked my tonsils with his tongue. "I missed you. You can't imagine how much I missed you. Did you miss me?"

"I did. I also enjoyed the extra time with Harry."

"Father was fine, almost too fine. He was friendlier than he's been in years. I think he wants me to spy for him. I think you are supposed to be one of my targets. I told him that I really couldn't spy against my girlfriend and her twin. He accepted that remarkably well. He said…"

"What did he say?"

"He said that he would accept this. He said he has other sources. He made me promise to contact him at once if anything seemed terribly off. Of course I agreed. He reminded me what a dangerous and powerful Wizard Dumbledore is. He said it's fine to learn from Dumbledore, but that you and I must make certain that we are not Imperiused by Dumbledore."

Back on our personal leather sofa in our common room, Draco and I shared our suspicions about Dumbledore, including my fears that I would be disappeared within a week. Draco said he didn't trust Dumbledore, but thought I over-estimated 'the old coot's boldness'. Draco was little encouragement as regards the big picture. He was convinced Dumbledore would act against me after I was back in the Muggle world and he could blame the Dursleys or Muggle thugs. Then he sprung a surprise:

"I will protect you, if you will let me. Please spend the summer at Malfoy Manor. It is a very plush and pleasant manor and father is seldom around. Invite Harry, if you must. I'll even include Ron and Hermione in the invitation, at least for visits."

I was shocked and begged time to consider his generous offer. The thought of not having to return to the Dursleys was a very pleasant one.

I survived the next two days. We even had a training session with Dumbledore. Hermione thought it "oddly distrustful of a Headmaster who has taken a special interest in us", but she tested both Draco and me for signs of the Imperius. We were clean. We were also more proficient at the 'Petrificus Totalus'. I also survived an actual ride upon a Hippogriff. I circled the lake once. It somehow made me feel a little safer to have surveilled our immediate environs. If need be, I could hike out along the lake and hide in the surrounding forest.

The jolt came the next day. Draco and I had just prepared a perfect Veritaserum and been complimented by Professor Snape, when he turned toward me and whispered "please see me after class, Miss Potter."

As Draco and I lingered at our bench, Professor Snape said "not you, Malfoy. You had best run back to your dorm. Your girlfriend is going to be here a while."

Draco looked very unhappy as he left me alone with Professor Snape.

As soon as the door closed behind Draco, Snape drawled "I fear you are in mortal peril, Miss Potter. I couldn't help but notice that you are the only person at the Slytherin table who ever eats pancakes or maple syrup and that you consume them at every… single… breakfast."

I couldn't help it. This seemed so strange that I burst out laughing. I had been worried by Professor's Snape manner and what he said both broke the tension and struck me as very funny.

"Don't laugh, Miss Potter. I am most serious. As many Witches and Wizards have died from poisonous potions as from the 'Avada Kedavra'. Potions is not my preferred subject, but it is not without value. I fear that you will be poisoned. The ingredients for several very deadly potions have gone missing from my storeroom. You must be on your guard."

"So, I am to be saved by avoiding pancakes?" For some reason, this produced an uncontrollable stream of giggles.

"Be serious, Potter! You must continue to eat your pancakes. I want to save you, but not at the cost of having all of Slytherin poisoned. I'd prefer that the poison remain in the maple syrup, thank you very much. What I propose is that I teach you charms, which will permit you to identify poisoned food or drink with your wand. We'll cover the most likely poisons today, but it will take several lessons to protect you from all of them."

This lesson took two hours, but at the end of it, I was able to detect a half dozen of the most common and deadly poisonous potions. Given the extreme length of my instruction, I was very surprised to find Draco still waiting for me outside the classroom. Both Goyle and Crabbe were with him. They had their wands out in guard position, while Draco sat on the stone floor, back against the wall, completing his homework. Although he didn't look at all worried, he must have been REALLY worried.

He didn't say a word beyond "hello, that certainly took long enough" until we were back on our sofa and Goyle and Crabbe had wandered off. Of course, I had to explain everything which had happened and do so in minute detail.

"That's balmy," Draco concluded. "Poisoning used to be a big thing, but that was over fifty years ago. Poisoning is passe. My mother is very careful and taught me to detect a handful of the assassin's favorite potions when I was ten, but even she hasn't mentioned potions in years."

I went to sleep with this question foremost in my mind: "why had Professor Snape suddenly become so concerned that I was about to be poisoned? What had I missed?"

Draco and I sat side-by-side at breakfast, as was our normal procedure. Not per my normal, I decided both to forego the pancakes and syrup and to pass my wand over my bacon, eggs, and porridge – even testing the butter, turbinado sugar, and cinnamon I added to my porridge. Pansy was eying me as I passed my wand over each food choice.

"Now you're just being silly and everyone is noticing and thinking you're acting strangely," Draco admonished me in a not entirely sympathetic tone. "I don't know what game Snape was playing at, but it really is balmy. Here, I'll show you."

Draco proceeded to load three big, fluffy pancakes onto his plate, place a large scoop of butter atop them, and pour on half the container of maple syrup. He had wolfed down half his breakfast, when he suddenly gasped and collapsed face-first into the pool of syrup at the edge of his plate.

I screamed.

The professors were rising from the head table. I pointed at Draco. He was now lying on the floor, where he had fallen after I pulled his face out of the syrup. Madam Pomphrey arrived just after Dumbledore.

"The pancakes – I think they were poisoned," I told Madam Pomphrey. Professor Snape…"

At that moment Snape arrived, his finger pressed against his lips. For some reason I followed his direction and changed what I was about to say to "… please smell Draco's plate and see if you can identify a dangerous potion."

Professor Snape raised the plate to his nose and gave it a hesitant sniff.

"Poison. Very rare. It's called The Assassin's Secret Friend. It's based upon hemlock. We must pour cream down Draco's throat and add a couple bezoars, as well. I always carry a single bezoar. Professor McGonagall, would you fetch me a second from my storeroom."

He placed his bezoar in the back of Draco's mouth and poured an entire pitcher of cream down his throat. The bezoar had no choice but to follow. By the time Professor McGonagall returned with two more bezoars, Draco had begun to stir. He opened his eyes.

Professor Snape held Draco in a sitting position. He placed a bezoar in Draco's mouth, held another cream pitcher to his mouth and demanded that he swallow. I was amazed that the very groggy-looking Draco succeeded in doing so.

"Aren't you going to give him the third bezoar?" Professor McGonagall demanded.

"No, the proper antidote is two bezoars and I prefer to limit myself to two." He pocketed the third bezoar.

"This is a very bad business," Headmaster Dumbledore declared.

"This poison was meant for me," I accused Dumbledore, as my glaring stare did not waver. "Draco never eats pancakes. He ate them this morning to convince me I was silly to worry about poison."

"Indeed, Miss Potter. Why would you worry about poison at Hogwarts' table? The Elves would never poison a student. Their treaty with our people prohibits any such offense."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen – The Smackdown**

I spent the night with Draco in the infirmary. He slept almost the entire time. When he awoke, I told him what Hermione had learned about the Flamels and their Philosopher's Stone, although I neglected to tell him how long I had possessed this knowledge.

"Well, in that case I know my father is wrong about at least one thing: Voldemort at least semi-lives and he is very close by Hogwarts. He wants the Philosopher's Stone so he can live. I'm sure it was Voldemort we saw bending over the dead Unicorn. He must have been drinking its blood."

Hermione agreed, telling the others "yes, that is the most logical explanation. We are all in great danger."

I felt as if I was certainly in great danger as the five of us set off after dinner several days later for our first post-holiday lesson from Dumbledore. I tried to control my nerves, but I failed.

"You're shaking, Miss Potter," Dumbledore informed me. "So you really believe that I am trying to kill you?"

"I do," I answered honestly. "I am not at all sure that I should be here now. You may say it was wrong to suspect I might be poisoned at a Hogwarts table, but I was warned of just that, and a serious attempt was made, although it got Draco instead of me. You downplayed that, but it is fact."

"Yes it is fact. I suppose my reaction must appear suspicious, but I would never harm a student. You're here for these lessons, because I want to equip you to defend yourselves. I am searching for our poisoner and I am taking his or her actions very seriously. Who warned you?"

"I won't get someone who has my best interests at heart in trouble for trying to protect me."

"Ah, Professor Trelawney again. Do any of you have anything you wish to tell me? Draco's father has already told me quite a lot about what he thinks of my running of this school. I'm told the governors are not happy with me. If not, let's begin your instruction. I can't help you if you refuse to tell me what's on your minds."

Nobody spoke. We reviewed all of the spells we had practiced before the holiday break and began to study the charms for detecting poisons added to food. Perhaps Dumbledore was taking the threat seriously.

I expected more excitement, but there wasn't any. My bed had been charmed over the break, so Pansy was less of a worry. We continued to have twice weekly defensive magic lessons from Dumbledore. He treated me very well. We all learned a lot from him. He began each lesson with the question: "do any of you have anything you wish to tell me?"

Once Draco replied "Things continue to be very weird around here. Do you have anything you wish to tell us?" Dumbledore looked surprised, but shook his head 'no'.

All of us tested everything which went into our mouths, but no further attempts at poisoning were detected. Professor Snape asked Draco and me to tarry after Potions a few lessons after the Christmas break ended.

"Dumbledore still stubbornly thinks one of your fellow Slytherins is responsible for the poisoning. That cannot possibly be true. It is a very rare potion, which hasn't been taught at Hogwarts since before I was a student. The poisoner didn't just add the poison to your food. One ingredient was added to the griddlecake mix. A second ingredient was added to the barrel of maple syrup. Even if the Elves had inspected those containers for poison, the standard methods would have detected nothing, because the ingredients aren't harmful by themselves. Even mixing them together wouldn't produce a poison. The first had to be heated at high temperature, when the batter was fried on the griddle. It was then primed to combine with the second ingredient in the syrup, but the final step in completing the potion required a stomach – which unfortunately Draco supplied."

"That does sound well beyond the talents of any of my fellow Slytherins," Draco admitted.

"Very few in this castle could have done it. I managed to do it, after a little experimentation. I'm certain Dumbledore could do it – the potion was taught back in his day, when poisoning your enemies was more common. I don't know any of the other professors who could do it. I must conclude that our poisoner snuck into the castle undetected."

"It was Voldemort," I exclaimed. "We know he's near. He's the one who is killing the Unicorns."

"Is he now, Miss Potter? Haven't you heard… your twin killed Voldemort. I'm sure that Draco's father has told him as much."

"Father is wrong. Voldemort is here to steal the Philosopher's Stone."

This last part surprised Professor Snape. "An interesting theory, Mr. Malfoy. Have you mentioned it to your father?"

"I thought it best not to."

"Keep it that way. Be very careful. Things are coming to a head. I fear that you should not trust all of your professors."

Nothing else was said. We fell into a routine. We attended class, we studied, we had one session a week of special lessons with Dumbledore, Draco and I snogged nightly upon our sofa, and as best I could judge, Hermione and Ron continued to dance warily around each other. My twin remained without a love interest. He spent a lot of time with Hermione, but she seemed firmly in the friend zone. I searched for signs that Harry was interested in any girl. Nope, I guess it was too soon for him.

It wasn't too soon for me. I told Draco that if Harry came with me, I'd be happy to spend the summer at Malfoy Manor. Draco invited Harry. Harry said yes. I thought that settled things and rescued me from a summer back in the broom closet, but then one afternoon I approached Ron and Hermione having an argument in the corridor outside the library.

"He's going to Malfoy Manor, with Emako, because you refused to invite Emako, as well as Harry, to your house. Your mother sent me an owl. She's furious with you. What do you have against Emako?"

"Nothing, really, except she's a Slytherin. I don't want a Slytherin in my home. Really, you see how much Draco hangs all over her. I won't have Draco dropping in at the Burrow to visit her and spend all his time sneering about how crappy our house is."

"That's remarkably selfish, you've messed…"

Hermione spotted me. "I guess you overheard that."

"I guess I did. Don't worry, I'd never spend my summer where I'm not wanted. I…"

I was interrupted, actually I guess I interrupted myself as a marble statue flew off its plinth to crash against the far wall. I just kept walking right past the Gryffindors and the broken statue. As luck would have it, this was the day for our weekly training session with Dumbledore, so Draco and I would have to spend our whole evening with the Gryffindors.

I realized as I finished my dessert that Professor McGonagall had cornered Dumbledore right as he got up from table. I remained in my seat.

"Let's go Emako, we can't let the Gryffindors think they've made us so uncomfortable that we are hiding out in the Great Hall, until we have Dumbledore to protect us. You did nothing wrong."

I followed Draco to Dumbledore's office. Harry and his Gryffindor friends were standing silently beside the gargoyle, looking very tense.

"Just say it!" Ron challenged Draco as we approached the trio.

"Why should I say anything?" Draco answered back. "You've already said it better than I ever could. You're ashamed of your house, your family, and your whole life. I can't help you with that. It's fine with me. You don't want Emako in your house, so she and Harry are spending the summer with me. That's what I wanted. So, all I have to say to you is…thank you."

Ron turned red and stomped off. Even Dumbledore calling out "Mr. Weasley, we're ready to begin!" did not cause him to break stride.

It was a very awkward class. Even Harry and I couldn't look at each other for more than a fraction of a second. Hermione stayed on the other side of Harry and always looked at her feet. Class ended when my pushback exercise ended with Dumbledore's desk smashed to bits against the wall. Ron never did return to either the Dumbledore lessons or our Hippogriff training. I didn't miss him. He is a nasty boy.

Hedwig landed upon my shoulder at breakfast the next morning. I gave her some bacon and read the note from my twin:

"I'm very sorry. Ron knows he was wrong, but is too embarrassed to apologize. Somebody told him that Draco had insulted his family. He won't even tell me who it was. Again, I'm sorry. Please meet Hermione and me on the front steps after breakfast. Please share this note with Draco. He also is invited."

Harry and Hermione hugged both of us. "I shouldn't have allowed Ron to speak like that," Hermione apologized. "I didn't look at you last night, because I was ashamed and ashamed for Ron. I am sorry."

As winter gave way to spring, we needed to focus on preparing for exams. We had stopped our flying lessons with Hagrid, although we did stop by the Hippogriff corral every other day to give treats to our birds and let them know that we were still their friends.

Our first written exam was Transfiguration, proctored by Professor McGonagall, herself. She warned us sternly "don't even think of cheating, your quills have been charmed to prevent cheating. Still, for the sake of appearances, I don't want you sitting beside your friends. Harry Potter, come sit by me. Draco, please move to the other side of the room, away from Emako and your bodyguards. Ronald Weasley, I think another two rows back, so you're not right next to Miss Granger. Okay, that's better. Best of luck to all of you, you have two hours."

I wrote until my hand was numb. Just one question left. I thought about my answer as I massaged my poor writing hand. I willed my hand to work. There was little time left and this question: 'what is the problem with transfiguring inanimate objects into living things?' was too easy to miss answering. I had the guts of a good answer put down on paper, when McGonagall called out "pens down!"

Harry, Draco, and I walked down to the lake, comparing our answers to the exam questions. I think we all did well. Things were fairly much right with the world. The only negative was that Hermione continued to split her time between Ron and the rest of us. Ron hadn't spoken a word to Draco or me since 'the incident'. We had encountered him one evening, while giving treats to our Hippogriff, but he just threw his treats over the fence and walked away. My bird hurried over and ate them, before Ron's could get to them.

We all received notes from Dumbledore at lunch. "I want ALL of you at Hagrid's for a final Hippogriff lesson, right after dinner tonight. This is important! Your spat has become very tedious and destructive!"

"I'm going," Draco assured me.

"It's strange to take time to ride the hippogriffs during exam week," I replied, "but I'll go just to figure out why Dumbledore is wasting our time.

That was my plan, until Filch intercepted Draco and me as we left the Great Hall. "Detention, kiddees. You get to clean all the urinals."

"What for?" Draco demanded.

"Cheated on your exam, didn't you? I have a note from Professor McGonagall. You're coming with me."

I looked toward the head table, but McGonagall had already disappeared. Headmaster Dumbledore was still there and I signaled frantically at him. He nodded and walked toward us. I explained our predicament and reminded him of our hippogriff lesson."

Dumbledore glanced at the note and shrugged his shoulders, walking away from us without a word. As Filch led us away, Draco turned to Goyle, who was lingering nearby "find McGonagall. Have her tell Filch that we didn't cheat. We couldn't cheat, she separated us. We'll be in one of the boy's bathrooms."

It was hard, smelly, messy work. Boys simply don't aim accurately. Filch stayed right on top of us, gloating the whole time. Draco grumbled about what his father would do to Filch. Filch just replied with an evil chuckle. We were on our fourth boys' room by the time McGonagall and Goyle found us.

"Show me the note," Professor McGonagall demanded. Filch handed it to her. "I most certainly did not write this. It also isn't remotely in my hand. I believe Harry, Ron, and Hermione have gone to the third floor. They said they would stop Voldemort. You must help me stop them. Dumbledore left for the Ministry right after dinner."

We raced to the third floor. As I ran, I wondered why Professor McGonagall hadn't just collected another professor or two and gone straight there, rather than searching for us. I knew we had to be too late. Harry had a big head start on us.

The door to the forbidden corridor stood open. A giant, drooling dog's head filled the door frame. "Not my defense, I don't know what to do, other than to curse it," McGonagall told us. "Petrificus totalus!"

Too easy, the dog just growled back at us.

"Avada Kedavra!" Draco's curse crumpled the big dog in a heap. We scrambled over it to the open trapdoor. The dog posed a serious obstacle for McGonagall. We raced ahead of her.

I threw a ball of light down the trapdoor hole. "It's Devil's Snare." I told Draco.

A torrent of fire surged from Draco, filling the space beneath the floor. We quickly dropped through the hole.

The first room we came to had a couple dozen keys, with broken wings fluttering a little, but firmly embedded in the wooden door across from us. There was a key in the lock. I turned the key and we entered the next room. A giant board set up for a game of wizard chess, but with many of the pieces badly damaged and lying on the floor.

"Go through and around," Draco led the way.

A black knight charged me. I used backoff and it crashed, taking several other pieces with it. We reached the door without being caught. We passed into a room with a table of bottles. As we approached the table, flames burst up in front of the door we approached. There were also flames in the direction from which we had come and a sheet of parchment with a puzzle. We were supposed to drink from the proper bottle to pass safely through the flames. I could have solved the puzzle, but I saw that two bottles were empty. They undoubtedly were the bottles we needed.

"Now what?"

"If you can bust down the door with a backoff, we charge and dive through at full speed, before the flame re-establish."

This sounded good to me. I lined up the bench in front of the door and threw a punch. Bench met door, door flew into the next room, Draco and I flew in after it.

Professor Quirrell! Not who I expected. He was leaning over Harry and squeezing his throat. My brother's face looked purple. I threw a punch and he flew back across the room. Draco shouted 'incendio!' at the same instant and Quirrell's robes were engulfed in flam.

Quirrell was screaming, then he shouted 'Avada Kedavra' and a green light blossomed from the flames. I looked to see if Draco was okay, but then felt myself falling, endlessly. "WAKE UP! Wake UP. wake up."

I couldn't wake up. I saw my body fall to the floor and heard Draco scream: "No! Not Emako!" as he threw himself on the floor and cradled my head in his arms.

I saw the broader view of the room. Professor McGonagall was entering the room, as Harry struggled to a sitting position. Harry knew. Tears were streaming down his face.

"She's dead." A crying Draco told McGonagall. "Professor Quirrell got her while he was burning."

Dumbledore walked into the room, looking alarmed as he saw Draco holding my dead body.

"You weren't supposed to be here. Harry could have handled this on his own."

McGonagall spoke in her firm, loud, bring-the-students-to-attention-in-a-noisy-room voice. "This detention note to Filch -it's in your handwriting, Albus. Filch must have known. How could you do such a monstrous thing?"

"Harry had to do this himself. That is how it was supposed to be. Voldemort must be defeated."

Lacking my wide-vision, floating-on-high, dead-person view, Dumbledore didn't realize that had recovered enough to walk within hearing distance of what he had said to Professor McGonagall.

"I couldn't handle it. He was killing me and I was helpless," Harry was on his feet and screaming. "My sister is dead and it is your fault. She died saving me. I hate you!"

"You were very brave Harry and you did what needed to be done. You stopped Voldemort from stealing the Philosopher's Stone and using it to become fully alive in his own body. You can give me the stone now."

"No."

"Please, Harry, the stone is very dangerous. It must be destroyed or else none of us is safe."

"No, I will keep it for now. Emako taught me to see the bad thinking in your words. If you wanted to destroy the stone, you had a whole lot of time to destroy it. All of this happened because you wanted to keep the stone."

"I always wanted to destroy the stone, but it belonged to another. I will plead with the Flamels for permission to destroy it."

"Draco and I will destroy it after you get permission. You look very old. Perhaps you want to live forever."

"That's a horrible thing to say. Alright, you were very brave, but now you are very rightly upset. You can keep the stone for now. Just please keep it very safe."

I had been watching as Draco used this argument to slip away. I saw how Draco had gently laid me on the floor and covered me with his robes. I saw him sneek from the room. I knew where he was going, so I had stayed to watch Harry stand up for himself, but then I raced after Draco, all the way to the owl tower. Draco hastily wrote a note, pricked his finger with the quill, and left his bloody fingerprint on the note. He attached the note to his owl and flung it into the night. He made certain the owl safely escaped past the castle's magical barriers, then sprinted back to the third floor corridor.

I followed Draco as fast as I could. I had tried, but failed to get his attention in the owl tower. I had hoped that I had become at least the newest Hogwarts ghost, but apparently is was my fate to be less than that.

Author's Note: This chapter changes what I found the most ridiculous part of JKR's Philosopher's Stone: that Harry's mother's love and sacrifice for Harry could render his very skin lethal to a Death Eater who touched it, even a Death Eater carrying Voldemort as a parasite. Also, why was the need to play music for Fluffy the key missing piece of information to be wormed out of Hagrid before Voldemort could steal the stone? Voldemort/Professor Quarrell would dispense with Fluffy as expeditiously as Draco did in my retelling. Tranquilizing Fluffy is only necessary if you give a damn about is survival. Would Voldemort care one whit? For the arch villain too squeamish to kill even such a monstrous puppy dog as Fluffy, there is always the old potion-in-hamburger treat. The students have even learned how to make a suitable potion.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen – A Little Help From The Baron**

Hermione and Ron had now joined the group, along with Professor Snape.

"This is getting out of hand and a lot more public than I had wished," Dumbledore complained. "Come along to my office, before anybody else chooses to join us."

I scurried away, hoping I could find the Bloody Baron, recruit his help, and arrive at Dumbledore's office, before the others arrived.

Happily, the Baron was in the Great Hall. For good or bad, so was Peeves. I flew up alongside the Baron and tried to speak to him. He seemed puzzled at my first attempt, but focuses in my direction. I tried again, putting all my might into the effort.

"Yes, I can hear you now. New ghosts can be very difficult. Quiet Peeves, this is a crisis and you can help. Consider it a chance for your greatest prank ever on our headmaster."

Peeves was quiet immediately, as I quickly explained what had happened and what was required. As we spoke, I led us all into Dumbledore's office. I had Peeve's agreement that he would speak for me. If he broke his pledge, I knew that the Baron would step in. We just had time to hide in a corner of the room, when the whole troop followed Dumbledore into his office.

My first surprise was that Professor Snape carried my body. He laid my body reverently upon the floor, ln front of Dumbledore's desk. He rearranged the chairs, so that Dumbledore had to see me, whenever he gazed at his guests. His anger was impossible to miss, as his eyes shot daggers at the headmaster.

"Voldemort was thwarted, but this is not the outcome I hoped for. The death of a student, especially a first level girl, is a terrible thing. Of course, the remaining exams will be canceled and the students sent home. Owls must go out tomorrow morning."

"My owl already went out," Draco informed Dumbledore.

"Indeed. That is a complication. I hoped to have the stone destroyed, before your father or other Death Eaters could arrive."

Draco ignored the bait.

"We must hold a memorial for Emako. The Dursleys won't care about her death. I will address the students at breakfast." Dumbledore announced this as his personal decision and a done deal.

"NO!" Harry and Draco objected in unison.

As Dumbledore's face registered surprise, Professor Snape elaborated "I believe what the students mean is that those who actually loved, or at least thoroughly liked, Emako should do the speaking. Your views were all too apparent, headmaster."

"I agree." Professor McGonagall found her voice.

"Fine, I'll leave the organization of the memorial to Professors Snape and McGonagall. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what happened with Voldemort. Would somebody please explain what happened."

"We thought all five of us were to visit Hagrid for a last Hippogriff lesson, but then Emako and Draco failed to show up. We never visited the Hippogriffs, but we did learn from Hagrid that a mysterious stranger had learned that playing a tune was the way to get around Fluffy. We suspected that the Philosopher's Stone would be stolen tonight, so we raced back to find you and couldn't. Professor McGonagall told us you were away, so we went to the third floor to stop the theft. It seems obvious to me that you sent us to Hagrid so that we would learn the Fluffy secret."

This was the point at which Peeves made his first appearance, floating to a position between Dumbledore and his guests. "And Dumbledore was gone so the student's forced to act. Is this a coincidence or is it Dumbledore's plan?" Peeves cackled in his sing-song fashion.

"I received an urgent call from the Ministry."

"Careful, that can be checked." Peeves cackled.

There was silence, which was filled by Hermione's description of how she, Ron, and Harry had won their way through the obstacles and gained Harry's passage into the final chamber. Harry picked up the tale, describing how he had been challenged by Voldemort and then found the stone in his pocket.

"Somehow Voldemort knew I had the stone and he ordered Professor Quirrell to kill me to get the stone. We fought very briefly, but I was knocked down, he knelt upon my chest and then he strangled me until I almost passed out. That's when Emako and Draco arrived."

"Emako was very brave. She drew Quirrell's attention, so he sat up, took his hands off Harry's throat, and started drawing his wand. Emako and I hit him with our wild magic at the same instant and he flew across the room as a giant ball of flame. He got off the one 'Avada Kedavra' before he died and that struck Emako. I saw, I can only describe it as organized grey smoke, zip across the room and through the wall."

"That was Voldemort's spirit," Dumbledore declared. "He escaped! We are still in peril. He WILL return. It's not your fault. You couldn't know, because I didn't tell you. You could protect Harry, but Harry had to be the one to kill Voldemort. Don't ask, I don't fully understand why that is so, I only know that it is."

"Telling you this puts Harry, and all of you, in even greater danger. My most difficult and most necessary task is to convince Draco that he must keep this knowledge from his father. Harry should be safe at the Dursleys this summer. That house is protected by extensive charms and by his mother's love mediated by her blood – her sister."

"I'm not going to the Dursleys. I'm going to spend the summer at Malfoy Manor. That's what Emako would want." Harry stated this as simple, indisputable fact.

"You can't. That would put your life in extreme peril. As I've told you repeatedly, Lucius Malfoy is a very dangerous Death Eater. For you to go to Malfoy Manor is to surrender yourself to Voldemort."

Before Harry could respond, I spoke through Peeves. "And yet to follow the path you set for him delivered Harry to Voldemort and would have Harry killed by Voldemort, had I not intervened. Yes, this is Emako. Peeves speaks for me."

That shocked the gathering.

"I really am sorry that you died. I did not want that."

"Don't believe you!" Peeves cackled. "I served the purpose for which you kept me alive. You believe that Lily can kill Voldemort through Harry. As her daughter, I was your backup. Having killed Voldemort for now, you wanted me gone so you could control Harry. I guess you won. You won Draco too. You set it up so that he helped kill Voldemort. Now he's an enemy of Voldemort and the Death Eaters. I'm very sorry, Draco. I loved you. I still do love you."

I didn't mean to make Draco cry, but the tears were now flowing.

"I am not the monster you think I am." Dumbledore spoke so softly that I could barely hear him. Peeves took it upon himself to blow a raspberry.

"Monster that some of you may see me as, it is still incumbent upon me to see that the Philospher's Stone is destroyed, before Lucius Malfoy and the Ministry arrive. I have no doubt Minister Fudge will be joining us."

"Fine," Harry declared. "May I have your help, Draco?"

Draco nodded yes. Both of my loves turned around in their seats. Harry took the Philosopher's Stone from the pocket of his robes. He tossed it in front of them, low enough that it was out of Dumbledore's line of sight. Draco shot a fountain of flame at the stone. When the flame extinguished, the stone was gone.

"That wasn't your stone to destroy," Dumbledore admonished Harry.

"Sorry, you said it must be destroyed. I had to make certain it actually was destroyed. You'll have to explain to your friends, the Flamels."

"You think I wanted the stone for myself? Do you all think so little of me?"

Hermione explained. "I think you deliberately placed the stone where it was not at all safe. If Professor Quirrell and two groups of students could get past its defenses, then those defenses were created to be bypassed. This was a trap for both Voldemort and us. You wanted him to face us in your trap, rather than face him yourself. You believed that only Harry could kill Voldemort. Harry couldn't kill him. Emako and Draco at least half killed him. If they hadn't been rescued from detention, Harry would be dead. That's the unavoidable truth. It was so easy to take the stone that I strongly suspect Harry just destroyed a phony and that you still have the real one.

"You hired Quirrell, so you should have known more about his background than anyone. He was an awful teacher who behaved most strangely. Professor Snape figured out that Quirrell was going to steal the stone, but I am supposed to believe that you didn't know? You could have dealt with Quirrell at any time, but you wanted to trap Harry into doing your killing for you. It is an awful thing to force very young students to kill. Now Draco is stuck with that awfulness, Emako is dead, and Harry has to continue at Hogwarts without his twin and with a headmaster who betrayed him."

"Yes, I knew about Quirrell. I thought I could use him to lure Voldemort into Hogwarts. I never suspected that Voldemort was attached to him. I didn't think he was actually dangerous, or I wouldn't have allowed him around my students. We've said enough nasty things to each other. I suggest we all go off to our beds. I suspect we will have the governors and half the Ministry here tomorrow. I need to speak to the Flamels."

I told Peeves to leave with the others. Dumbledore didn't know I was with the Baron and would assume I left with Peeves. Or perhaps not.

"You can leave now, Emako. Hogwarts doesn't need another ghost. It's clear that you've already completed the important task Professor Trelawney saw ahead of you. You will be nothing but a useless distraction fo Harry, Draco, and my faculty. I cannot run this school with you fighting me. A ghost's life is not a happy one. I'm sure it will be less painful for you to just leave Hogwarts and fade away.."

I told the Baron what to say and slipped away through the ceiling of Dumbledore's office. I said that the Baron should say 'I died protecting Harry and I will stay and protect Harry and Draco until they graduate. Then I will fade away. I will also stay to be your conscience and remind you how very cruel you were to a very young girl. I will haunt your dreams. Don't bother trying to kill her, she's gone."

I thought I might gain strength hovering above Harry's head while he slept. It seemed to help a little. At least I knew he was safe. I suspected that Dumbledore would try to kill ghostly me as I followed Harry to breakfast, so I flitted into the Great Hall while he was dressing. I hung near Nearly Headless Nick. I hoped that Nick wasn't too obvious a choice.

Dumbledore looked very tired. He must have traveled to France to visit the Flamels. As the tables filled with students, I noticed that the food was tardy. Dumbledore rose from his seat to address the students.

"There are undoubtedly rumors about strange events yesterday. I am saddened to tell you that your fellow student, Emako Potter, was killed yesterday. She died saving her twin, who was being murdered by Professor Quirrell. Professor Quirrell was working on behalf of Voldemort to steal an item, which I had hidden on the third floor for safe-keeping. The forbidden third floor corridor is no long forbidden, as the item has been returned to its rightful owner and destroyed. The rest of your exams are canceled. The Hogwarts Express will carry you back to London right after breakfast tomorrow. Owls have been sent to your parents. Professors McGonagall and Snape are planning a memorial service for later this afternoon. Professor McGonagall will explain."

Professor McGonagall said my life would be celebrated on the front lawn at three this afternoon. Anyone wishing to speak at the ceremony should contact her.

She had just sat down and food arrived when Lucius Malfoy, Minister Fudge, and three other Wizards, whom I didn't recognize, strode into the Great Hall.

"Dumbledore, your office, now!" Minister Fudge's voice filled the hall. "Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, and Professors McGonagall, and Snape, – would you also please join us. Oh, and also Mr. Filch, without the cat, if you please. We've already spoken to Hagrid and Professor Trelawney."

I went ahead of them to the headmaster's office.

I hid behind an intricate-looking instrument on a table along a side wall. I thought Dumbledore would expect me to again be hiding out along the ceiling, near where the Baron had stationed himself. I had told Peeves what to say and when to say it. I hoped I wouldn't need to approach Peeves.

"Two deaths, Dumbledore – I won't sweep that under the carpet for you. A first year girl murdered by a professor you selected. We all expect better than that from you. And I'm told you're talking nonsense about Voldemort being responsible. Explain yourself, Sir!"

"Actually, I was doing research in the Ministry library when the tragic events unfolded. I'm sure my students can describe what happened far better than I can."

Harry, Hermione, and Draco gave a detailed account of what happened, including the actions leading up to what apparently they were supposed to refer to simply as 'the tragedy'. Professor McGonagall and Mr. Filch told the group about our detention and the phony note, of which McGonagall said "it appeared to be in Dumbledore's hand, but I can't believe Dumbledore would do such a thing. Nor can I believe he would believe I had written the note. He knows my handwriting far too well for that."

Filch said he found the note on his desk. "Didn't surprise me. A lot of the professors are used to just ordering me about like that. Yes, I suppose I should have realized Professor McGonagall didn't write it. Perhaps I did."

Lucius exploded at Dumbledore. "This poor young girl, my son's girlfriend, was forced by you to spend the final hours of her life scrubbing urinals as punishment for what you knew to be a false charge made up by you. You had MY SON scrubbing urinals to spite me and amuse yourself at my expense."

"I think whoever wrote that note did it to keep Emako and your son alive. Unfortunately, it failed at half of that goal. The note writer also didn't want to put Draco or yourself in danger by allowing Draco to put himself in a position where he would feel obliged to attack Voldemort. I regret that the writer also failed in that attempt."

"Voldemort is dead. Your meddling has put my son atop the Death Eater's list of persons to kill."

Harry was questioned how he knew Voldemort was present. He finally had to admit that he didn't really know. He had seen pictures of Voldemort and the thing fastened onto Quirrel did not look like the pictures. He repeated all that Dumbledore had told him.

"So you know nothing about the identity of what I will officially call 'this unknown parasitic demon' which seized control of Professor Quirrell, apart from what Dumbledore told you. Everything about Voldemort is hysterical conjecture, which the Hogwarts headmaster should not be encouraging. It seems that the same applies to the other students' testimony. It's all prompted by Dumbledore giving voice to his fears.

"I hear from Lucius that his son was poisoned at table. Nothing like that has happened in fifty years. Have you identified the poisoner?"

"It was probably Professor Quirrell, with help from Voldemort," Dumbledore replied.

There was silence, and then a bombshell was dropped.

"If I may speak for Emako Potter," the Baron said in his most portentious style. "She has a concern for her safety. She is now a nascent ghost. It may take years until she is as visible as I am and able to speak to humans. Her fellow ghosts can barely see and hear her. Do I have your permission to proceed?"

Fudge nodded.

"It was suggested to Emako that only a very expert potion maker could have poisoned Draco. Few of the Professors could do it. One of those is Headmaster Dumbledore, who never wanted her at Hogwarts. She is certain that the poison was meant for her.

"Emako wishes to reside as a ghost at Hogwart, at least until Harry and Draco graduate. She believes that she can help them to remain safe here. Her problem is that her existence has been threatened. Headmaster Dumbledore has told her that she must leave Hogwarts at once, to slowly dwindle to nothingness. This will leave Draco and her twin unprotected."

"No, he can't do that," Draco protested.

"He certainly cannot," Fudge answered him. "I give official permission for Emako to remain as a ghost at Hogwarts. I doubt the Dursleys will object, so I propose that her corporeal body be buried at Hogwarts. That should help to protect her spirit. I charge Lucius Malfoy and his fellow governors to check periodically to make sure ghost Emako is safe and not being harassed by the headmaster. You should consider yourself on probation, Dumbledore. You remain in place only because I view removal of a Hogwarts headmaster as something to be avoided, if at any time I find you misusing your students as your own little soldiers or filling their heads with nonsense about a living Voldemort, then I promise you shall be gone, forthwith. I think we can be on our way. Oh by the way Dumbledore – unless you want to discuss this little affair before the full Wizengamot, I suggest that you personally finish cleaning the urinals, without magic."

"Goodbye for now, Mr. Potter. I look forward to welcoming you to Malfoy Manor tomorrow." Mr. Malfoy turned and was gone.

As everyone got up to leave the office, Dumbledore stopped Professor Snape. "If I might have a word Severus."

I had planned to slip away, before Dumbledore found where I was hiding. The Baron had already left and I felt less safe without his mediation. What I asked him to say must surely have angered Dumbledore. I felt that, risky or not, I must know what the headmaster said to Professor Snape.

"You owe me a very big favor Severus. I didn't speak out about Draco's poisoner. I know it was you. It was hard for me to stay silent, knowing that you had pointed the finger at me, but I decided I'd rather have you here in my debt, than losing your mind in Azkaban."

"Surely you were correct, when you said it was Voldemort. He knew more than enough about potions to poison Draco."

"But he had no reason to poison Draco or Emako. That would only lead to aurors swarming over Hogwarts and denying him the Philosopher's Stone. Only you had a reason to poison Draco."

"No, I like Draco. He's one of the star Slytherins. But surely Emako was the target. She was the everyday griddle cake eater. I had no reason to want her dead."

"No, but I've seen how you look at her. You wanted her for yourself, so you needed to get Draco out of the way. Really, Severus, she is only a first year. I just can't imagine - a first year."

"That's silly. I was the one who warned Emako about a poisoner. I was also the one who saved Draco's life. Why would I do that if I wanted him dead?"

"Perhaps you suddenly came to your senses. Or, perhaps you thought the third bezoar really was needed and Draco would die without it. Madam Pomphrey certainly would have given him the bezoars as a possible cure for a poison she couldn't identify. I researched the poison and its antidote. I read nothing about giving cream to the victim. It is the bezoars that saved him.

"Could you really smell the poison over the aroma of griddle cakes and maple syrup? I prepared a batch of the poison. I confess that I was unable to detect it by smell. That's when I knew you were the poisoner. I will keep your secret, but it is shocking that you would chase after an eleven-year old."

"Almost twelve, but I would have done nothing other than mentor her, until she graduated Hogwarts. She looked exactly like her mother, as Lily looked when I fell in love with her. The old feelings were too intense. At first I thought Draco could be her friend and keep her safe in Slytherin. I worried about her safety, so I gave Draco helpful hints to avoid offending her. Then… it angered me to see Draco constantly snogging her, his hands all over her. He was just so… aggressive with her. I admit, it made me jealous. If I had to wait, so should he. What favor must I do to repay this debt?"

"I can't think of a great need at the moment. You will of course continue to spy on the Death Eaters and to protect Harry Potter. Beyond that, I'll know when the need arises. I can't understand why you thought it a good idea to poison Draco. First year romances seldom last. Emako was no more likely to end up with a Slytherin than Lily was."

Severus winced at that, but he had an answer. "Emako was changing Draco. He was already changed. Really, he's no longer Slytherin. I've known that since he returned from break. I'm sorry."

Severus left the office.

"You can come out from behind the pensieve, Emako. I won't harm you. Do you now understand that things are not always as they seem?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. I really thought you were the poisoner. Now it's so clear. Who watches a student so closely that he knows she eats griddle cakes and maple syrup every morning? I knew from the start that his interest in me wasn't completely healthy, but I never guessed it was this bad. He also wrote the note, which got us detention, didn't he?"

"Yes, of course he did. He wanted to make sure you were out of harms' way. It was easy to copy my handwriting, he's seen it for decades."

"Of course. He was the one who was watching Professor Quirrell. He was the one who would know when the theft would occur. I've been so stupid."

"You've done well. You're just a first year. We'll find out together whether or not ghosts can continue to learn. Can we be allies? We both want to protect Harry."

"Yes and I am sorry about causing you to be on probation."

"Don't worry about that. Fudge really did summon me to the Ministry and is afraid that I can prove he did so at the urging of Lucius Malfoy. If there is anything you can do to prevent Harry from spending the summer with the Malfoys…"

I left the office in search of Harry. I would have to spend my first months away from my twin. I knew that I would perish if I tried to follow Harry and Draco to Malfoy Manor. My spirit was bound to this school.

Author's Note: That's the end of Philosopher's Stone (with twin added). Bad actions by Dumbledore seemed a good way to explain Emako's absence from canon, but there was a lot of Dumbledore manipulation of Harry in the canon Book One.

I don't know where (if) this story goes from here, but I think an invisible ghost, with personal links to most of the main characters, makes a good narrator. I have started a continuation of Emako's story in "Emako The Student Ghost" on this site.


End file.
